What Power Really Means
by LittleHellion
Summary: To be fair, Heather hadn’t known just exactly what those words would mean, and Jareth was kind of a cheater. Or was that unfair? Well, what's said is said, and now Sarah was stuck waiting for a nine year old wannabe princess to rescue her. Such a pity...
1. Such a Pity

Disclaimer: This story is officially Disclaimed. I am writing fan fiction, after all.

I really shouldn't be starting another story that will probably become a huge project, but I couldn't resist. It was yelling at me to write it, and I needed to take a little break from the Naruto fandom, anyway.

So, without further ado, I give you:

Chapter One

* * *

"Hey, hey! You were Sarah!"

Sarah looked round at the girl. "Yes, I was. In fact, I still am."

The girl looked confused, and Sarah laughed. "Can you keep a secret?"

With a nod and a sparkle in her eye, the small blonde whispered, "Of course!"

"Well, my name is Sarah!"

"But…on the program it says your name is Edith! Is your last name Williams, too?"

Sarah hesitated, before shrugging. "Well, yes. I think the playwright decided to use my name as a joke…we know each other, and he's always telling me he'll use my name in a play. Finally, he did…so of _course_ I had to use a stage name!"

"Why?"

"Well," Sarah said teasingly, "can you imagine reading a program and seeing that the role of 'Sarah Williams' will be played by 'Sarah Williams?' It seems kind of silly, to me."

Sarah declined to mention just how hard she'd fought to get Daniel to change the name, reminding him that the book had never even mentioned a 'Sarah.' It was all to no avail, of course; the name "just fitted the lead."

Sarah hadn't known whether to be pleased or insulted, though, and that hadn't been the point; she may have finally come out of her deluded fantasies, but she didn't fancy Daniel's warped sense of humor. She should never have told him about that particular fantasy.

The girl nodded importantly. "Well, will you sign my program, anyway? You can write Sarah Williams and Edith Hall both…and then, no one will ask who you are!"

Sarah's heart warmed at the girl's excited smile. She could remember being excited to meet her mother's friends, although they rarely agreed to autograph the small book she had always carried round with her.

"Sure thing. What's your name?"

"My name's Heather Jensen. I don't like it, though."

Sarah took the program and looked for a place to sign among the scribbles of crowns, faces, and hearts.

"Why don't you like it?"

Sarah listened with half an ear as Heather talked about wishing she was a princess, and the name 'Princess Heather' sounding stupid. With a small smile, Sarah signed the program:

_Heather –_

_You seem like a princess to me. Never stop believing!_

_Edith Hall (Sarah Williams)_

_P.S. Princess Heather sounds great._

Heather read over the message, and turned her face to grin cutely in Sarah's direction.

"Never stop believing in what?"

"Oh…you know. Yourself, your dreams…love. Those kinds of magic are the most powerful."

Heather looked doubtful.

"More powerful than the magic of the Goblin King?"

Sarah unintentionally backed away. "O-of course! That's just a story, after all!"

Heather looked a bit crestfallen. "Oh, well. I guess you're right about bigger magic. I mean…that king _totally_ loved Sarah!"

Sarah laughed a bit, coming forward again. "How do you figure?"

Heather looked completely flabbergasted. "How did you act in the play and still _not_ know it's a love story? Well…I mean…the guy didn't get the girl in the end. I was kind of mad at Sarah, because she had a chance to be with the guy of her dreams, and she hurt his feelings. I know if I was her, I'd totally say yes."

"I don't know," Sarah said doubtfully, but still feeling – somehow – slightly guilty. "Would you say yes even if it meant that your little brother might be turned into a goblin?"

"Well, of course not. But if he loved me, he wouldn't _turn_ my brother into one. That would be rude, and a really bad wedding present. 'Oh, by the way, honey, I turned your brother into a goblin. Isn't it the best present ever?' No, I don't think that would've happened. She was just mad at him, and kind of mean."

Sarah stared, dumbfounded, at Heather. Sure, it had only been the workings of her deluded mind. But it still didn't make her feel any better to look at the old story in such a different light. What if that all had been real for someone?

Sarah shook her head, and breathed deeply. This was only a side-effect of submerging herself in her role in the play. Nothing to worry about.

Heather giggled. "Well, anyway, the 'Words' they used in the play were stupid. I mean…who would say stuff like that? If I wanted to get the goblins to take _you_ away or something, I would say…"

Heather drifted off for a moment, before clapping happily.

"I wish the goblins would come and take you away, right now!"

When Sarah saw Heather's horrified face, she knew she didn't want to turn round to see what was behind her. But she found that she didn't need to; a voice which she remembered so well, despite convincing herself she only imagined it, rang out in amusement.

"Well, well. Isn't this a rather ironic turn of events?"

"You're him, aren't you? You're the goblin king!"

Sarah nearly laughed at the familiarity of the situation.

"So…are you really Sarah, then? The one they wrote the play about? Are you going to be kidnapped?"

"Er…Heather, I'm pretty sure that we'll both be fine-"

"Come, now, Sarah. This little girl has wished you away to me."

A bit of her old defiance popped up. "No, she wished me away to the goblins."

"Of whom I am king."

Sarah had no answer to that one.

"I…didn't mean to actually wish her away, though. I didn't know it was all real."

"Oh, you didn't?"

Sarah was seized by a childish urge to slap him for being so cliché. But she refrained, for Heather's sake.

"Well…I thought it was probably fake," Heather amended, looking somewhat curious and excited. "So, if you're real, and this is the real Sarah, then…ooh! You can both fall in love and live happily ever after! This is so cool, I might know a princess!"

Sarah shook her head despairingly. "Heather…this isn't a fairy tale. I don't want to be a princess. Not any more. Besides…I've been wished away."

Jareth had been silent throughout this whole discussion, but even without looking Sarah could tell that he was more than a little amused and slightly put out. Sarah was betting on the fact that his little show didn't quite go over as planned.

"Then, what am I going to do," Heather wailed. "I don't want you to be a goblin, cos you're nice, and I really didn't mean it!"

Sarah winced. She knew exactly what Heather could do, and she didn't like it.

"Mister Goblin King, sir? Can I go through your maze to get Sarah back? I really didn't mean it."

Jareth looked way too amused to be good. "Oh, most certainly."

Heather looked delighted, but then frowned. "What if I get lost?"

Sarah could tell there were many unpleasant scenarios (which could likely come true) running through Heather's head. "Don't worry, Heather, I'll-"

"Then, I'll have to find friends, just like you did! And one of them can be my knight in shining armor! It's just like a fairy tale!"

Before Sarah could reply, she was suddenly in the throne room of a castle, surrounded by curious-looking goblins.

Heather had looked so sure…she hoped that Heather didn't really expect to find a knight in shining armor. They just didn't make them any more.

-

_All right, Sarah, don't panic. Heather seems a lot like you, so…_

Sarah wanted to cry. That was the _problem. _Heather seemed _too _much like Sarah, and if Toby's…humanity…hadn't been at stake, Sarah probably would've loved to _get _lost in the labyrinth. Sarah meant next to nothing to Heather, and if Jareth offered her something fantastic…

She realized that she must be making a spectacle of herself to the goblins, who were strangely quiet.

The goblins.

Oh shit, the _goblins._

This was all _real._

The reality of her situation set in – and not just the part about being held hostage by the Goblin King. Her time in the labyrinth hadn't just been fantasy. She hadn't just lost her ring and her bracelet. She'd actually met Hoggle and Ludo and Sir Didymus…

And, speaking of them, they were bound to be hurt. After all, she hadn't called to _check _if they were real. Her pride wouldn't let her. After nearly being admitted to a psych hospital in order to get help, she had sworn off believing in otherworldly magic.

Boy, had she been wrong.

She became dimly aware of a furry finger poking at her shoulder, and looked up from the odd crouching position she'd somehow wound up in. A goblin was looking at her through curious and confused eyes. Despite being just as confused, Sarah decided to detach.

When in doubt, act!

"I'm very sorry," she said. "I haven't introduced myself. My name is Sarah Williams. And what is your name?"

"Dek," the goblin said, almost apprehensively, quickly retreating. Sarah found this a little strange, but shrugged it off.

"Oh? That's a…nice name," Sarah said lamely.

She heard another goblin make a noise akin to a snort, but she ignored it. "How old are you, Dek?"

Dek seemed to consider her question, and though it (was it a he or a she?) was a goblin, Sarah found it a bit cute.

"I don't know," Dek said finally, shrugging.

"You don't _know?"_

"Nope. Can't remember bein' born."

Sarah chuckled. "Well, neither can I, but I can tell you with certainty that I am twenty-one years old."

The goblin frowned – or at least, she thought it did. "How do _you _know?"

Sarah opened her mouth to answer, but promptly closed it again. How _did _she know? Sure, her birth certificate _said _she had been born twenty-one years ago. But how did she know for _sure _that she had been?

"I guess you're right, then. I _don't _know for sure. That's…something to think about. You're very smart, Dek."

Dek nodded importantly, reminding Sarah of Heather. Another goblin made its way forward. "He's not," it said. "He's my stupid little brother, who's ten."

Sarah frowned at this, but refrained from commenting. She didn't remember the goblins talking this way, but…perhaps the goblins in the City had just been of a different variety? Like, speaking a different dialect?

"Oh, and what's your name?"

"_I'm _Tern, and I'm Dek's older sister. _Smarter _older sister."

With a smile, Sarah asked, "Oh? And how old are _you?"_

Tern frowned. "I don't know."

"Well, then, you and he are not so very different, are you?"

"But _I _was there when he came here. That was eighteen years ago, and he was a baby then. So _I _remember when he was made, and I've told him."

Sarah frowned. "Made? I thought you said he came here eighteen years ago. Why is he only ten?"

Tern rolled her eyes. "Well, duh. He was wished away when he was a baby. You have to grow up a little before you decide what to do here. By the way, what are _you _doing here?"

Sarah was a little startled. "What do you mean, decide what you want to do?"

Tern shrugged. "Well, we all come here because we've been wished away, and usually no one tries to get us back. No one's ever actually done it before. Well, there was this one time that a girl did, which was kind of sad, cos her little brother was _really _cute. He laughed when I made faces at him."

"Keep going…"

"With what?"

Sarah couldn't muster up a smile. "You were telling me about deciding what you want to do."

"Oh, right. Well, anyway, we're all wished away, so we have to stay here, and some of us don't _become _goblins. Actually, most of us don't."

"Oh…and so, is Dek your brother by choice, or…"

Tern made an irritated sound. "No, he's not. My 'mother' wished me away before I was even born – one of the older goblins told me that always causes a lot of trouble, since His Majesty has to get us, even though we didn't really have bodies yet. That's why I'm a goblin…I had to get a goblin body or die."

Tern sighed, and then continued, "Then, about sixteen years later, she got pregnant again, and wished _him _away, but _he _was actually born. But he met me, and decided he wanted to be a goblin, because I'm his older sister. That's why he's stupid."

"I'm not quite sure I understand."

"Well, the kids who get wished away before they're born don't have bodies that can survive, so we become goblins. But Dek had a chance, and he _wanted _to be a goblin! What an idiot!"

"Well," Sarah said, confused, "there seem to be a lot of goblins here. Are there really that many mothers who wish their unborn babies away?"

"Of course not! The kids who grow up to be spoiled and rude get made into goblins to teach them lessons. It's always really funny to watch them get kicked around."

Sarah didn't know whether to be amused or not. But then, she heard something that made her realize just how deep her troubles were.

"This _is _an interesting turn of events," came Jareth's voice in a slightly cold tone. "How is it to be talking to someone who's been wished away out of spite?"

Sarah stood up and whipped around to face him. She couldn't help being frightened; the harsh truth that she was now very much under the control of the King of the Goblins hit her full force, and she had been knocked out of her acting daze. Her stomach wanted to push itself out of her mouth, and her lungs didn't want to work properly. Panic had finally set in.

Jareth took in her frightened face, and smirked in a _very _discomforting way.

"Well, Sarah, it seems that this time, I _do _have power over you."

Sarah decided it was a good idea to take her mind off the hook for a moment, but before she fully slipped into unconsciousness, she heard Jareth's mocking voice once more.

"_Such a pity."_


	2. Say the Magic Words

Something was wrong.

He _knew _there was something wrong, and whatever it was, it involved Sarah. She hadn't called last night; she _always _called. She never forgot about him!

Unfortunately, in Toby's five-and-a-half year old mind, Sarah was unreachable. He didn't know her phone number, and wasn't sure why she _hadn't _called. The thought of Sarah getting tired was something he couldn't fathom; she was a _grown-up. _She was always awake and smiling when he saw her.

Had something bad happened to her?

He made up his mind to ask his dad as soon as he got home from work. His mommy probably wouldn't know; Toby could see that she didn't really like Sarah, although he couldn't figure out why. Sarah was the coolest sister he could ever have, always telling him stories. She had even taught him how to read, even before kindergarten!

For some reason, Toby got the feeling that Sarah was in trouble, and it had to do with that man he sort-of remembered. He couldn't remember the face or the name, but he remembered the man saying he loved Sarah. He had been kind of scary.

Had she been kidnapped? Had the scary man kidnapped her? He hoped not, because Sarah always told him not to leave with strangers and to stay with his friends, and as far as he knew, Sarah didn't do that either.

Toby looked impatiently at the digital clock on the microwave and scowled. Nine thirty-six. School would start at eleven thirty, and then it would be a few hours until his daddy got home and he could ask where Sarah was.

After all, he had a bad feeling. That made it true, right?

-

Eleven hours. It had been eleven hours, and Heather was still hopelessly lost. She hadn't found anyone! Or rather, she hadn't found anyone pleasant. There were a few…things…that had wanted her head, and fairies that bit (weren't fairies supposed to grant wishes?); there were unhelpful hands who had only helped her by passing her upwards again (who would be stupid enough to choose 'down?'), and a frightening roar she'd run away from before whatever made the noise found her. But she hadn't made any _friends._

Where were the ones who had saved Sarah? Why hadn't she found her way out of this maze by now? It had seemed easy on stage…

But, Heather realized suddenly, this was nothing like the stage play, nor was it like the book. This was real, and frightening, and she wanted to go home. If it weren't for the fact that she had ruined Sarah's life, she would've given up long ago.

Or maybe, she would've liked to _get _lost.

That was it! She was lost because she was trying too hard to find her way! What had the old bird-hat man said in the play?

"We sometimes feel we are going nowhere, when in truth, we are." Or something like that; Heather didn't think those were the exact words.

Yeah! She was afraid, and worried she would lose. But if she just wandered…

Maybe she would make it? Maybe she could beat it, as Sarah had!

And then the Goblin King would let Sarah go home. Or would he keep her there and marry her and live happily ever after?

It would be so _cool _to be a princess and marry a king, especially a handsome Goblin King that could do magic. But it seemed that Sarah didn't really want that, and so Heather set out to wander until she got to the castle.

-

Tern had been shocked to find out that Sarah was _The _Sarah, the one who beat His Majesty and broke his heart, after running his labyrinth because she'd wished her baby brother away. Wishing away children had never sat well with Tern (and who could blame her?); but to Sarah's credit, she had braved – and beat – the labyrinth. No one had ever done _that _before.

No one had ever broken His Majesty's heart before, either; but Sarah hadn't really known what, exactly, she had been offered. Her dreams, of course; but the dreams of a seventeen-year-old human girl were quite fantastic, and His Majesty hadn't really known the difference. He loved her, but Tern knew that Sarah hadn't realized that.

How unfortunate, for both of them; Tern could see that, in some strange, unexplainable way, Sarah loved His Majesty. It was obvious in the way Sarah phrased her questions and carefully avoided looking at His Majesty when he came into the Hall.

At any rate, Tern and Sarah had somehow become friends, despite the fact that Sarah had _wished away _a child that wasn't even her _own._

At present, Sarah was pretending she wasn't hiding from His Majesty behind a slab of stone, while asking about how things worked in the Underground.

Really, she was asking just how involved His Majesty was in the affairs of the occupants of the Underground, but to a casual observer, it would seem like an innocent question. Tern decided to answer only the innocent question Sarah had asked.

"Well," she answered, hiding her amusement, "there are nice people, and there are mean people, just like it is with humans. His Majesty keeps everything ordered and working well. The Goblin City is a really nice place-"

Tern smiled at Sarah's raised eyebrow. "No, really! There's an old part of town that no one uses unless someone actually _gets _to the City. You saw _that _part. The kids who get turned into goblins as punishment are the ones who have to go there and scare people off. They try to do a good job, since they are all wary of His Majesty, but they are kind of pathetic sometimes."

Sarah gestured for Tern to continue.

"So, the Goblin City is a nice place, but I stay here in the castle. I am one of the goblins who takes care of the children who get wished away. It's funny…"

Sarah frowned. "What's funny?"

"Oh, it's just that…usually, nobody over the age of seven gets wished away. There have been a few spoiled brats who have wished away their parents, but His Majesty isn't actually able to _take _them. I just think it's funny that you're the only adult who's been able to be taken, and you're also the only one who's ever won."

Sarah's eyes widened, and then her brow furrowed. "What do you mean…been _able _to?"

Tern shrugged, but eyed Sarah speculatively. "Well…children are able to be taken because they _know _magic is real, deep down, even though adults tell them otherwise. As they grow up, they lose their ability to use magic, and they can't be taken. In fact, the only adults who are able to access their magic are the desperate mothers."

"Actually," Tern finished with slight shock, _"you _shouldn't have been able to wish your _brother_ away. You aren't his mother, and you weren't desperate. You were over ten, so you shouldn't have been able to use the magic…"

Sarah looked frightened now, and more than a little confused. Tern sighed. "Everyone – even humans – is able to use magic when they're born. Humans, unless they realize how to use their magic at will, lose their abilities at ten. There is certain magic within all humans that can only be called in desperation, and that is for a mother to wish away her child. Occasionally, the mother will realize what she's done, and agree to face the labyrinth. But none of them have ever succeeded, and His Majesty is kind enough to erase the child from the human world. Basically, the child never existed, except in the mother's mind; she retains her memories."

"And…with me?"

Tern frowned. "I have no idea. You shouldn't be able to use any magic at all, but you still smell like it. I figured it was because you were taken by His Majesty, but…now that I think about it, His Majesty's magic smells a little different from yours. It definitely belongs to you, but…that seems impossible."

Sarah looked to be as shocked as Tern felt. "So…you mean…no, that's…I can't do magic! I used to hope, as a little girl, that I would suddenly meet a relative who would tell me I was really a witch or a fairy queen, but I never did magic! You're right; it _is _impossible."

"I don't know anything about your magic," Tern explained. "You seem human enough, but…well, only someone from the Underground would be able to keep their magic even if they hadn't used it. Maybe you really _are _related to someone down here."

"Don't say that. I'm _not," _Sarah said, seeming to want to convince _herself _more than anything. Tern could see that Sarah was trying hard to _not _entertain fantasies of magic ancestors and Goblin Kings.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Are you still _you?"_

"Of course!"

"Then why are you so worried?"

Sarah seemed to relax a little, and only Tern noticed His Majesty leave the Hall with a strange look on his face.

-

"_I do hope you realize what position you're in," Jareth said, slightly irritated. Sarah should _not _be here!_

_Sarah immediately detached. "As far as I can see, I'm under the _control _of the Goblin King, accidentally wished away by a child who really didn't mean it."_

_Jareth noticed the way she used the word 'control,' and not 'power,' and he wanted to hate her for it. But he couldn't._

"_It is exactly as you see it. Tell me, Sarah…do you know what will happen to you when the girl doesn't solve the labyrinth?"_

"_I'm guessing I'll find out, _if _that happens."_

_She was infuriating! "And if you become a goblin…what then?"_

"_Tern and Dek seem nice enough," Sarah replied calmly, "and I don't really have a _choice, _do I?"_

"_That's right. You don't."_

"_Well, then, I don't see the point of this conversation."_

So far, Jareth had managed to avoid talking to her. After their initial conversation (which had been odd, to say the least), he had left her in the Hall with the goblins, hoping she would realize what she had unknowingly gotten into.

Instead, she had made yet _another _unlikely friend, and she seemed to be rather accepting of the fact that she would be here _forever._

Of course, she _did _have that annoying 'actress mode,' that let her detach from her own reality and pretend she was acting everything out on a very lifelike stage. He hadn't been expecting Tern to figure out what Jareth had not been able to place; Sarah had her _own _magic, different from the magic of mortals and also different from his own.

Now, it seemed that he would have no choice but to talk to her, and ignore the conversation he'd held with her earlier.

Jareth tapped his fingers on his desk in frustration. She was so…_ugh! _Unshakable! Four years ago, she would've been intimidated, and most likely frightened. The _old _Sarah Williams would be shaking in her boots, albeit under her mask of bravery. But _this _Sarah…

She had withdrawn from reality as soon as she'd come to, and Jareth could see that she hadn't yet returned. There were only thirty minutes left for the new girl, and then Sarah would be his.

He laughed shortly. He finally got her, but not in the way he wanted.

"Your majesty! The girl, the girl running the labyrinth!"

Jareth sighed impatiently. "Yes? Spit it out!"

"She's _here! _You know…she's out of the labyrinth and in the city! She's almost to the castle!"

"Well, then? What are you _waiting _for?"

"For His Majesty's orders…"

"You all know what to do, you twit! Stop her!"

The goblin left, muttering about kings who liked to hide. The girl had…found her way through his labyrinth? This was strange, and more than a little irritating. Of course, it _had _to be the one who had wished Sarah away who would be able to find her way through the labyrinth.

After twenty minutes, the girl had made it to the steps of the castle, and was timidly stepping over the threshold. "Hello? Is anyone here? I've just finished your maze, and I want to go home!"

Jareth decided to make his presence known. "Oh, yes. We're here," he said smugly, although he didn't quite feel that way.

"Oh, that's good," the girl said in relief. "I was afraid I ruined Sarah's life. But I'm here now, so…can she go home?"

"Oh, no," Jareth said coolly. "I'm afraid that wouldn't do at all."

The girl started. Jareth guessed she had never considered this possibility. "Then…why did you let me go through your maze, if you weren't going to let her go?"

"I didn't say I wouldn't," Jareth whispered. "You just haven't quite solved my puzzle."

"What do I have to do _now? _I already figured out the secret of how to get through, and I'm here, in the castle. I want Sarah, so I can go home! I'm not scared of you!"

Jareth's eyes flashed menacingly and in a dangerous tone he asked, "Oh, you aren't?"

He was rewarded with frightened eyes and an involuntary step back from the girl. "N-no," she said with feigned bravery, "I'm not. So give her back!"

"Say the magic words," Jareth countered. His voice sounded cruel; perfect for frightening the girl further.

"W-what? What magic words? You mean please?"

Jareth just smirked.

"Er…then, _please _give her back!"

The clock chimed four. "Wrong answer, Heather," he said, turning his eyes away from her.

"Wait!"

Jareth looked back to her as the clock chimed eight. "Yes?"

Heather gulped. "Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered," she began slowly, as if she were trying to recall something she had heard or read. Jareth felt an unsettling sense of déjà vu, but he didn't panic. Not yet.

"I have fought my way to the castle beyond the goblin city, to take back the…Sarah…that you have stolen."

Jareth started to worry, even through his amusement at her choice of words.

"For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great…"

The clock chimed thirteen.

"Good try," Jareth said, before waving a hand and returning her to her world. "But not good enough."

-

I think I deserve to be shot. But if any of you still want to read my story, kindly refrain? Please and thank you.

Well, here's chapter two, and sorry it's so boring. It will get better, don't worry...but it will not just randomly turn into a sappy romance. Sap isn't exactly realistic, now, is it?


	3. Hysterics and Strange Behavior

Toby blinked. He could've sworn he had been sitting in his desk at school…

But now, it was ten forty-five, and he was sitting by the phone. Had he been dreaming? He supposed so. Why was he sitting by the phone? The reason danced just beyond his grasp…

Sarah! That's right, Sarah was supposed to call him. But she had been kidnapped by the scary man…or had that been part of the dream? It wasn't something Toby could figure out alone. So he went to find Daddy.

Daddy was sitting at the kitchen table, looking at a pile of extremely uninteresting-looking papers. Toby moved over toward him and crawled into his lap, drawing his attention away from the bills.

"Daddy," Toby asked in a tired voice, "is Sarah okay?"

Daddy looked down at Toby with a weird look on his face. "Is Sarah a new friend from school?"

Toby was confused, but answered his father's question. "No! Sarah is my big sister."

Daddy's weird look changed into something different but equally weird, but Toby could tell that he was sad. "Toby, how do you know about Sarah?"

"Of course I know her," he explained in a matter-of-fact voice. "She doesn't live here anymore, but she still comes to visit, and she calls me _every night. _But she didn't call tonight, and I'm scared she got hurt."

"No," Daddy said, "she never lived here. She died with her mother when she was just a baby."

Daddy's tone was sad, but Toby wanted to know _right now _why Daddy was being so mean. How could Sarah _not _be real? She had-

"She taught me how to read," he countered with conviction, "so of course she's real! She never forgets about me, and she always makes sure I'm safe! Why are you forgetting her?"

Daddy didn't answer.

Toby shouted out in alarm. "Why are you forgetting Sarah?"

Daddy still didn't answer, and Toby finally jumped down from his lap, dissatisfied. He would just have to go find Mommy, then.

She was in the laundry room, stuffing the last load into the dryer. Toby sidled up to her and asked the question.

"Mommy, do you know if Sarah is okay?"

"Oh, is that a new friend of yours from school?"

Toby began to get frightened. "No! She's my big sister. She's cool, and reads me stories, and comes to visit a lot. She-"

Mommy was giving Toby a weird look. It was similar to Daddy's, but not quite the same. "Toby, are you sure you're all right?"

"Of course I am! But I'm scared for Sarah! What if the scary man kidnapped her?"

Mommy frowned. "Have you been watching TV channels you're not supposed to?"

Toby wrinkled up his face. "No way! Books are way more interesting. Sarah always tells me that TV will make me stupid."

"Toby, I think it's time for bed. Come on. Brush your teeth, and I'll be up to kiss you goodnight."

Toby grumbled, but did as he was told. He _knew _that Sarah was real, but…why didn't his parents remember?

Would they eventually forget _him?_

-

"I'm worried about Toby."

Karen rolled her eyes. "That's yet another thing we have in common. Toby has been talking about Sarah as if she's been there all his life, but no one has ever mentioned her. He's always been a strange kid…he has a very active imagination and seems to think of things in feelings and pictures rather than words, but he's always been…well, for lack of a better term, _sane."_

Robert furrowed his brow. "Maybe it's just a stage. I wouldn't go jumping to conclusions about his sanity just yet; perhaps he just wants a sibling, and since we can't give him one, he's decided to make one up. Although, I must say…it's strange that he would mention the reading thing."

Karen looked sharply at her husband. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I know you remember how Toby learned to read, seemingly on his own, before the rest of his classmates. He said that this 'Sarah' taught him how to read. If he's learning things like that, and attributing it to his imaginary sister, isn't that a little relieving? At least she's not telling him to do _bad _things."

"That is entirely beside the point, and you know it, Robert. You can't just indulge in this fantasy of his! Pardon my saying so, but that is precisely why your wife and daughter died in the first place."

Robert looked defeated, and Karen almost regretted saying that. It was no secret that she had resented his late wife during their first years of marriage, and though the resentment was quite gone by now, Robert would most likely think she was saying that to rub dirt on Sarah's grave.

"Look, none of this is your fault. I'm just saying that I don't want Toby to have a similar accident. When I first met you, you were a mess. I don't want to see you fall to pieces again if we lose our son."

"I know. I just can't believe all of this. We _have _finally found the reason for his strange habits – I always wondered why he sits at the phone _every night – _but why would he pick the name 'Sarah?' It doesn't make sense."

Karen shrugged, and sighed softly. "Does it really matter, Robert? Does it matter if this 'sister' is named Sarah, Ruth, or Curly Sue? The point is, our son is drifting away from reality, and we need to help him stay grounded."

"What can we _do? _It's not as if we can call a shrink or have him taken away. That would be cruel."

"Well…that's not necessary. We can take him to a child psychologist…although imaginary friends are not uncommon in children of his age, this Sarah seems…different. I'm nervous. If Toby ends up being a completely healthy child, I'll be relieved and grateful. But don't you think it would be safer to have him talk to someone?"

Robert nodded and sighed tiredly. "Well, at any rate, we need to get to bed. Did you tuck Toby in?"

"I did. He told me to tell him if Sarah calls during the night."

"Well, we should sleep on this. Maybe things will look better in the morning light."

-

"Augh!"

Veronica Jensen sat straight in her chair at the breakfast table, wondering what her daughter's scream had been about. Heather had been fine last night; she'd gone to bed quietly, and without complaint. But during her sleep, she'd tossed and turned and whimpered, and would not wake for anyone.

Veronica hurried into Heather's room and sat down at her side, smoothing her damp hair. "Hey, Honey."

Heather just whimpered again.

"Is something wrong? Are you sick?"

Heather turned her face away. "I'm not sick, I'm just a horrible person!"

Veronica frowned, a bit startled. "Of course you're not! What makes you say that?"

"It's _obvious, _Mom! I ruined her life! I didn't even mean to, but I ruined Sarah's life!"

"Is Sarah a new friend of yours from school?"

"_No, _Mom! Edith Hall's real name is Sarah Williams, just like in the play. I didn't mean to wish…but I said it, and now her life is ruined! I'm a horrible, horrible person!"

_Edith Hall?_

"I don't know what you're talking about, Heather. What play are you referring to?"

Heather looked up at her mother, incredulous. "Labyrinth! The one we saw _last night! _The girl who played Sarah Williams is the _real _Sarah Williams, and he came and stole her, and I couldn't save her!"

Veronica looked worriedly at her daughter's shaking form. "Sweetie, we didn't see a play last night. The only play running at the theater is _South Pacific, _and we saw that last week. It was just a bad dream."

Instead of taking comfort in her mother's words, Heather seemed to panic further. "What do you _mean? _It was Sarah! I know it was her, because I saw the Goblin King take her away! I figured out the Labyrinth's secret, and I even remembered the magic words, but I was too late!"

Heather was clearly not in any condition to go to school today. "Well, why don't you wake yourself up a little, and I'll bring up some chamomile tea? Then we can discuss your nightmare."

"It _wasn't _a nightmare," Heather cried hysterically. "It was _real, _and you're pretending not to know! You think you can make it better, but you _can't! _Sarah didn't want to become a goblin, _or _a Queen! Stop lying to me!"

Veronica passed a soothing hand over Heather's forehead. "I'll go and get the tea," she murmured. "And then we can talk about this. I'd like to hear more about it."

Heather nodded, and Veronica left the room, shutting the door behind her. What was it that had Heather in hysterics? Was something going on at school? Was she being threatened, or did she blame herself for some accident or another?

After a whole morning of riddles and nonsense and tears, Veronica decided that the only thing she _could _do was to find someone to talk to Heather. Someone who had experience dealing with children who randomly woke up claiming to be horrible people and to have ruined someone's life.

-

"It seems that Heather has failed to conquer my labyrinth," Jareth said silkily.

Sarah stayed carefully detached. "It does look that way," she agreed.

"And now…you are mine."

Sarah didn't quite like that tone of voice, but she brushed it off. "So it would seem. Am I _really_ to be turned into a goblin, or was that just an intimidation tactic?"

Jareth looked a bit frustrated with her. "Your future is undecided, Sarah. This time, it is you who has been wished away, and therefore, you are-"

"Under your rule, I get it."

Jareth's eyes closed for a moment, before he opened them again. "Yes. _Exactly."_

Sarah blinked slowly. "So…I'm an underling of yours. Now what? You haven't exactly turned me into a goblin yet, so I'm assuming I'm safe from that…for the moment, at least. Is there something I should know?"

Jareth shrugged. "Only time will tell, my dear."

Sarah knew better than to believe he really meant to call her 'dear.' She refrained from scowling. "Well, then. If you're quite finished…"

"Oh, no, Sarah. I'm not even close to finished. Tell me…how do you have this magic, when no other mortal does?"

Sarah didn't know how to answer, and Jareth soon left her alone in a room furnished with a cot pad and a stand with a washbasin. It was only then that Sarah let her consciousness reattach itself, and she cried herself into sleep.

-

…_But what no one knew…was that the King was in love with the girl, and had given her certain powers…_

Sarah had always remembered that line, even after shoving her 'dreams' away. It had seemed so fantastic; so romantic, when she was seventeen. Sarah had secretly wished for it to be true.

And somehow, although she apparently _had _'certain powers,' Sarah couldn't help but think that the scenario was not the same. The story had been written long ago, by a woman named Matilda Sutton. If she'd been given magic by Jareth, he would've known about it.

Now that Sarah was really and truly an occupant of the Underground, she realized she would never see her little brother or her parents again.

Her father was a good man, even if he had a hard time thinking for himself. Karen was harsh, yes, and Sarah knew that she would never find a friend in her stepmother, but she had been there more than her biological mother had been. They had settled for a mutual tolerance.

Toby…for some reason, Sarah had a tie with Toby that certainly hadn't been there before she'd wished him away. She always seemed to know when he was in trouble, or scared, and she knew what to say to calm him down. She had attributed it to the strange 'dream' she'd had where she'd almost given up her brother, and the guilt that had come after it.

Tern had said that the child never existed, except in the memories of the mother. If the child had never existed…then everyone forgot. Sarah was sure it was the same for her…if Sarah never existed, no one remembered her.

Toby would forget her.

Sarah wanted to cry again, but she was too tired.

Instead, she went back to sleep.

-

Author's note:

A cot pad is one of the most comfortable things to sleep on. I don't know what the correct term for it is, but it's the pad that gets laid on top of a cot. I don't know why, but when my cot broke and I just slept on the cot pad, it was like sleeping in heaven. I didn't really see Sarah getting a lavish room and all, seeing as Jareth is still bitter (and who can blame him?). However, he's not going to throw her into an oubliette or anything, because she didn't come to the Underground of her own volition. Therefore, she doesn't get the overly-large (and ultimately uncomfortable) feather bed, but she does get to sleep on the best kind of matress/pad/thing ever.


	4. New Faces and Revelations

Sarah had been ordered out of her room this morning, and told to follow Tern through town. His Majestic Pain was getting on her nerves; after two days of complete isolation, he just _appeared _in her room (what if she had been undressed?) and dragged her out of bed.

He may have been nice enough to leave her human, but he was still being an annoying bastard. And he wouldn't leave the subject of her 'magic' alone. How was she supposed to know anything about it?

"Sarah, I can't stay away from the castle…so I'm going to introduce you to someone who can look after you," Tern said, scurrying through the crowded streets of the Goblin City.

Sarah was a bit startled, but recovered quickly. "Why does someone need to look after me?"

"Because His Majesty ordered it."

Sarah fought the urge to throw her hands in the air childishly. _His Majesty ordered it. _Probably as a safety precaution (though who he was protecting, Sarah didn't know), but it still irritated her a bit that she had to be 'looked after.'

"Well, who am I going to meet?"

"A woman named Arienne. I'm sure you'll like her; she's very nice."

Sarah didn't point out the huge assumption Tern had made; after all, Tern probably knew.

"Well, I don't have much choice, do I?"

"Nope," said a voice, which didn't belong to Tern.

Sarah turned to see a _very _strange-looking woman. She had short, spiky red hair, strangely-colored eyes (were they blue or green?), and was dressed in a dark green…outfit. Sarah would have to ask about that later, if this was Arienne.

"My name is Zeffanora, by the way. And you must be Sarah."

So, this wasn't Arienne. "Yes, I'mSarah. Nice to meet you…"

Zeffanora laughed, a sort of booming sound that put Sarah at ease. "Just skip all the formal crap when you're with me. I'm not like the others."

Yes, she definitely put Sarah at ease.

"Zeffanora, would you mind taking Sarah to meet Arienne? I need to get back to the castle."

Zeffanora rolled her eyes, but nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, I'll get her there."

Tern smiled (or at least, Sarah was _pretty _sure that was a smile) and said, "Well, Sarah, have a good time."

Sarah smiled in return. "Will do. I'll see you later, Tern."

Tern turned round and scurried back the way they'd come. Sarah still thought Tern was cute, for a goblin. Now that she was back to stay, Sarah found that goblins weren't as bad as she'd thought them at first.

She was dragged out of her musings by Zeffanora's amused voice. "So…_you're _the girl who solved Jareth's labyrinth. I'm absolutely delighted to meet you."

Sarah knew that Zeffanora wasn't mocking her, and she couldn't help smiling. "You're the first person I've met who doesn't call him 'His Majesty.' You're also the only person who hasn't been angry with me for _solving _the damn thing."

Zeffanora laughed her hearty laugh again. "Well, what do you expect? They're _goblins. _He _did _save them, you know. Doesn't stop him from being a pain in the ass, though."

"So…not everyone worships the ground he walks on, then?"

"No," Zeffanora said, suddenly sounding serious, "everyone _does. _But that's only because they think he _wants _them to. Jareth's pretty formidable, when he wants to be…they're all a little bit afraid of him. They're all afraid he's going to make good on his threats…and _no, _he doesn't threaten everyone with that stupid Bog. Most of us have magic of our own; it would be pointless to send us there, as we can just magic ourselves out again."

Sarah cocked her head, curious. "What _does _he threaten, then?"

"Walk with me, and I'll tell you anything you want to know."

Sarah agreed, and they made their ways down a less crowded street.

"He never actually threatens to kill anyone. He's not _that _cruel…although most everyone thought he didn't even _have _a heart, until you came. Anyway, he usually threatens to send people to Gell, the Abandoned City. That's the place where the Shunned live – basically, people who have been forced to live outside the safety of the Kingdom. I don't know why people are so afraid of getting sent there; he only sends people who deserve it."

"That sounds horrible...what kind of thing makes people deserving of banishment?"

"There _are _laws here, you know. People who severely violate the laws, or break laws repeatedly. Everyone knows them…and even if they don't, they are warned. If a person from your world broke the law ten times, would _you _let them go free?"

"Of course not. But we put them in _jail. _We don't _banish _them."

"Well, Gell is basically a jail. It's the only place they can go; it's a self-sufficient city, so they never have to worry about food, but they aren't allowed to have or make weapons, and they're stripped of their magic. That's what makes it dangerous; if anyone was to invade Gell, they would all die. Of course, anyone who steps into Gell who isn't Jareth or me, they are immediately Shunned. They'd be stripped of their weapons – and magic, of course – so basically, it's pointless to attack. However, if there was an uprising, people would most likely turn to Gell first – the people there are pretty bitter. So Jareth put a barrier around it…anyone who steps _out _of Gell without figuring out how to remove the barrier dies."

"That's harsh."

"But necessary. That's why Gell is our jail…and that's why it frightens people."

"I can see why."

"Well…what else do you want to know?"

Sarah thought for a moment, then smiled. "Why are you wearing that…outfit? I've only seen women wear dresses here."

Zeffanora laughed again. "Of all the questions you'd ask…you really are an interesting person, Sarah."

They turned a corner and entered a large, bustling square. "This is the most comfortable thing to wear. Our women wear dresses because they want to impress Jareth. Or, if they can resist him, they want to impress other men. It's stupid, really…because dresses are too tight and uncomfortable. Boring and common, you know? You're probably wondering what exactly this is."

Sarah nodded.

"Well, it's basically a one-piece outfit. Men wear them, but I had a few made for me. I need things to move in, after all. It's just pants and a vest sewn together, and this isn't actually a skirt. It's an attached carrier…I can carry my tools and knives in it, and everyone just thinks it's a weird part of my outfit. I added _that _part myself."

"Why do you carry knives?"

"Oh, I forgot you don't know anything! I'm the head of our army. I make the girls wear these during training, and they're required to wear them in battle, but there hasn't been a need for them in centuries. Well, outside of training, of course."

Sarah's eyes widened. "So…is it all women in the army?"

"No," Zeffanora laughed, "there are men too. There are more women than men, though, because women have more capacity for magic."

"So…do you have more magic than His Majestic Pain, then?"

Zeffanora raised an eyebrow. "No one has more power than Jareth. Collectively, we could probably stand on par with him – but none of us are even close. It's in his blood, after all. I like that title, by the way. I haven't heard that one yet."

They turned another corner, and walked through an open doorway. The room they entered was large, but not spacious; there were knickknacks, papers, books, and instruments on every available surface. And there was a lot of available surface; tables and desks took up most of the floor space.

"Arienne, get out here!"

A blonde head poked through another door. "I wasn't expecting you, Zef- oh, that's why you're here. Sarah! It's a pleasure to meet you."

Sarah saw Zeffanora roll her eyes and smiled. "Pleasure to meet you, too. I'm guessing you're Arienne?"

She nodded. "Yes, I am. Now that we've introduced ourselves, would you like to come inside?"

Sarah furrowed her brow. "I thought we _were _inside."

Arienne laughed. It was a different laugh from Zeffanora's; it was more delicate, but it was still a pleasant sound. "This is only the workroom. The house is this way."

Zeffanora patted Sarah on the back and waved. "I'm off, then. Things to do, people to annoy…you know."

Arienne waved, and Sarah smiled. "Goodbye," she answered, and Zeffanora left out the door.

"So…Sarah…if you would follow me, please?"

"Sure."

"I'm sure you have lots of questions. I'm willing to tell you anything you want to know; just come and sit down, and I'll get you something to drink. What's your preference?"

Sarah shrugged. "What have you got?"

"Hmm…well, I've got some tealeaves, and milk. There's something in here that belongs to my father, but I wouldn't drink it if I were you. He's got a _very _strange taste. There's some sort of juice…probably belonging to my mother, so it's safe to drink."

"I suppose I'll have milk, then."

Arienne smiled and poured milk into two glasses. "So," she said, settling herself into a chair and gesturing for Sarah to do the same, "what do you want to know?"

"Well…I'd like to know more about this place. After all, this is going to be my home now."

Sarah felt a painful tug in her chest, and forced it away. Arienne looked at her oddly, but didn't mention it.

"Well…this is the Goblin Kingdom. Technically, it's called Nis, but no one actually uses that name, not even His Majesty. There are several different cities inside the Kingdom; Rahthib, the city for Elves; Arremnor, the Singer city – that's where you are now. Then, there's the Fen; that's the wild land, where most of the Dwarves live."

"Are there any other kingdoms? I mean…this isn't the _only _kingdom, or it wouldn't be called a kingdom."

"There are a few others. One is Saa, for the Shadows; no one knows much about them, since they keep to themselves. They are not allied with anyone; I'm not sure if that's a good thing, though. There is Ulip, which is for the Wild Ones; Trolls, Geas, ogres, and the like. There's the Vampire Kingdom, which is by far the smallest. No one ever enters or leaves, and they have more access to the mortal realm than anyone else."

"What are Geas?"

Arienne looked surprised. "I was expecting you to ask about the vampires! Ah, well. Geas are furry beasts, who aren't known for their intelligence. They are fierce protectors, though; once they've found a person to protect, they are loyal for life. Some drunk idiots captured one a few years ago, and he decided to stay, though I can't imagine why."

Sarah smiled. "Is his name Ludo?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"I rescued him from said drunk idiots. He helped me through the labyrinth, and visited me after I got home."

Arienne raised her eyebrows very high. "He _visited _you?"

Sarah nodded. "Yeah. He, Hoggle, and Sir Didymus visited me, along with a few others. They told me to call if I ever needed them, and I did a few times…but then, I convinced myself that none of it had been real. I wanted to live in my own world; I didn't want to lose touch with reality. Well, and my father and stepmother worried about me. They thought I was crazy."

"Why do you do that?"

Sarah was caught off guard. "Do what?"

"Every so often, you force yourself into zero state. Why do you do that? _How _do you do that?"

"Er…what's zero state? I don't know what you're talking about."

Arienne pursed her lips, studying Sarah's face. "Well…zero state is exactly what it sounds like. In zero state, there is no emotion except what you let in. It's natural and constant for a citizen of the Underground, but I've never met a human who could do it. It's required to work magic."

"I'm an actress. I need to be able to call up emotion at the drop of a hat, and push it away again when it's not needed. It helps me get through hard things. I'm sure lots of people can do it."

"No. Actually, humans are known for letting their emotions run their life. It's their version of magic. The people in the Underground use magic, but with a price; our emotions are locked away, and we have to _try _to summon them. I've actually never met _anyone _who could move in and out of zero state, as you do."

"It's something I learned to do after I ran the labyrinth. I realized that in order to see past my fears, I needed to be able to look at the whole picture. I can't do that if my personal biases are holding me back. And, as a plus, it helps me act."

"Interesting…"

Sarah straightened in her chair as a thought struck her. "So…is that why Jareth is always so calm when we talk? Sometimes I say things that are probably aggravating, but he doesn't get angry or frustrated. The only time I've-"

Sarah stopped her sentence, before she shared something extremely private. The only time she'd ever seen him express anything other than amusement was at the end of her journey, when he sang to her and tried to convince her to stay. She was sure he had no idea how hard that had been for her; to turn down the thing she wanted most for her brother. But she had chosen to break her own heart, so that Toby could be safe.

She never regretted it, but she never got over it, either.

Arienne was still looking at her curiously. "The only time you've what?"

Sarah shook her head. "It's nothing. I was about to ramble on about something stupid; you'd probably find it boring."

Arienne's eyes softened, and she nodded. "I understand. We won't talk about it. Is there more that you want to know?"

"Yeah…there are stories where I come from, that describe places like this. There are different names in most of the stories, and there are other names for races and kingdoms and whatnot. I was just wondering…how much of those stories is truth, and how much is fabrication?"

Arienne thought for a moment, with her eyes closed, before she answered in a warm voice, "I guess the closest human version of the Underground would be 'Tír na nÓg,' but even that's not right. Humans have taken true accounts and retold them, but they've gotten twisted over the years. People have added to the original stories, taken things out, romanticized us…but _this _is the truth. This _isn't _a place with no suffering; we're just better at controlling ourselves, and being at peace with one another. I don't know how you people can twist things so much; but perhaps it's for the best. After all, without the true and complete story, people can't get in without an invitation or an escort."

"I see. So…other than me and the babies who are brought here, have there been many humans here?"

Arienne shook her head. "Only two. The first one was a woman…I can't recall her name, but it was rumored that she was forced to make a choice between the Goblin King and another immortal man. She chose the other…and the Goblin King was so heartbroken that he could barely run the Kingdom."

Sarah's eyes widened of their own accord. "So…was he all right? I mean…he's running the Kingdom just fine now, so…"

She trailed off at the slightly amused look on Arienne's face. "It wasn't Jareth. You didn't think he'd been ruling forever, did you? No…it was his father. After fifty years, he married and had a child. Fifty years after that, he died, and his wife shortly after. It wasn't a marriage built on love; rather, the King had a duty to produce an heir, and his queen offered to bear his child. She didn't love him, either, but he was a dear friend to her. I'm not sure why _she _died, but everyone knows _he _died from heart sickness."

"Heart sickness? You mean, like heart failure or a broken heart?"

"In the Underground, they are the same. We don't let our emotions rule us, you see. But if an emotion is strong enough, and it grows stronger over time, it can force its way in. We are not equipped with the ability to handle something like that. His heart failed because he couldn't handle the pain."

Sarah winced. "That's terrible."

Arienne nodded. "That's why most of us are glad you've come back."

"Why would _I _matter? Did I hurt someone while I was here?"

An incredulous look spread over Arienne's face. "You mean you don't _know?"_

Sarah shook her head. "I was afraid, for a while, that the Underground had been destroyed when I left…but Sir Didymus assured me that everything was as it should be. I'm not sure why everything was fine, even though it all broke up at the end, but I'm glad nothing was destroyed."

Arienne was looking at Sarah with a sad and stricken expression. "Sarah…what exactly did this room look like, and where did you find it?"

"I was in a room with all these stairs…they were going this way, and that, and defied all logic. I couldn't get to Toby…so finally, I jumped down to where he was. After that, I was in a place with broken pieces, and Jareth met me there."

"You – he – Sarah, do you even _realize _what all that was?"

"Am I supposed to?"

"_No one's _ever been there. No one can even _find _it…not that we'd want to. That's his most sacred space."

"Was I intruding? I just wanted my brother, and he crawled in."

Arienne looked down and said, quietly, "The room with the stairs is not actually a room in the castle. It's only a way to travel to the place you ended up."

"What do you mean? Where did I end up? Why is this so important to you? Did I do something wrong?"

"I knew you'd broken his heart…I didn't think you'd literally done it. No wonder things are tense around here."

"I don't understand. Arienne…"

"Sarah," Arienne said, looking directly into her eyes. It was a harsh look.

"That room…the one you destroyed…that was Jareth's heart."

-

Ooh, angst alert! I'm so sorry! But I didn't know another way to tell you all that without Jareth telling Sarah himself...and of course, he'll never do it. So I decided to have Arienne do it. Does anyone else here like Zeffanora? She reminds me of someone I used to know. She wrote herself in here...what a trickster. I should like to take her out, but she'll just yell inside my head until I put her back in. And no, I'm not crazy. Just very in tune with my characters.


	5. Zero State

All right. I wanted to put a word in before you start reading. Sorry, it will only take a moment.

In the first bit, we get a better picture of how zero state works, and how it's affecting Sarah. It will seem like she's not taking this seriously, but that's not true. She's starting to be affected by the Underground and it's forcing her to tap into her hidden abilities (and no, I don't mean magic).

-

It was at times like these that Sarah was _extremely _grateful for her actress mode – or rather, her zero state, as Arienne had called it. She'd never given much thought to the broken room; she'd thought she'd destroyed the _labyrinth, _which would have left her friends without a place to stay. She'd never mentioned _why _she'd been worried…

And now, she had found out that she'd broken – literally – Jareth's heart, when she'd broken her own. But she was mortal, and Jareth was not. She could handle it…

Was Jareth going to die? For some reason, the thought tugged at her chest more painfully than anything else had so far. Sarah's confusion doubled; she'd broken her own heart in a _very _different way. She'd been a _child. _She was still young, but she'd matured a little since then; she hadn't known what exactly she'd been offered, and she hadn't ever thought about it in _this _sense. When she'd denied herself her _dreams, _they'd been fantastic and romantic; the dreams of a star-struck teen, in love with the idea of love.

Apparently, Jareth's dreams had been _quite _different.

Arienne was observing Sarah from a distance. Sarah was grateful for that; she wasn't sure she could keep herself from breaking down if Arienne spoke to her. She was already on the brink of losing it now...and with so much drama and confusion, Sarah would probably be crying – or screaming, or both – for a long time.

Presently, Arienne moved to Sarah's side and glared disapprovingly.

"Sarah," she said, "you're going to kill yourself – or someone else. Most likely _me, _and I'm not really ready to die. Humans are not meant to stay in zero state. If you don't cut it out right now, I'm going to force you to. It's a very tedious process involving magic and _lots _of pain, so for the sake of your human nerves, you'd better do as I tell you."

Arienne could be scary.

"I…don't know how. It's like…ever since I got here, that part of me has been getting more and more closed off. I've only been able to access it right before I go to bed, when I'm tired." Sarah didn't want to mention that it was a miracle she hadn't gone off the deep end, and how she was exceedingly glad she hadn't. Then, Sarah came to a realization.

"It's…a very odd sort of detachment. Like all these things I'm feeling are only shadows, or memories, or…they're not real at all. In fact, the more I speak, the less I feel."

Arienne's face creased into a deep frown. "You're not _able _to access your emotions?"

Sarah shrugged, which only made Arienne frown more.

"That's not normal. The very thing that makes people Above _human _is their ability to feel, and be controlled by the feeling. When, exactly, did you start…well, when did you teach yourself to do this?"

"Well…it was right after I solved the labyrinth. I needed to be able to live with my family, and with my classmates, and with the random people who don't _know _about magic. I needed to forget, so that I could stay in their reality. And I did. I was _sure _that all of this was one big delusion, a byproduct of my fantastic daydreams."

Arienne nodded, like a physician who has just confirmed a prognosis. "It seems that – for reasons none of us can figure out without more information – you have…potential. Strange…you are human. You shouldn't _have _potential. We can all just hope you can't do anything with it."

Sarah cocked her head. "Why?"

"Because," Arienne said, almost impatiently, "it's not the natural order of things. Humans don't use magic beyond the age of ten; well, unless they learn to use it freely before then. You _didn't. _This is not _normal."_

Sarah scowled. "Yeah, well…_I'm _not normal, apparently. Everyone's been telling me that! So, according to Tern, I smell like magic. According to you, I have potential. According to general consensus, I'm not _normal. _What are _you _gonna do about it, huh? It's not like I _chose _to be 'abnormal,' as you call it. I'm _Sarah. Sarah Williams, _age twenty-one; amateur stage actress, aspiring Broadway actress, human, former resident of Maine, a recent addition to the Underground population. Is there something _wrong _with that? _Is there?"_

Sarah added an elegant sniff and an upturned nose for dramatic effect.

Instead of applause (not that she'd been expecting any), or possibly a slap for her childish behavior (which she hadn't wanted, but had been expecting), Sarah was surprised to hear an amused sigh from Arienne, who was shaking her head with a hand on her forehead.

"What are we going to do," Arienne muttered, almost fondly. "There's _two _of you!"

Sarah glared, which really only prompted a rather unladylike snort. "I should have seen it coming, of course. Jareth has never been interested in those simpering fools who throw themselves at him and bend to his every whim. What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall during an evening shared between you two."

"Er…"

"Yes, I can just imagine it. First, dinner – which will be argued about, because he insists on eating a certain meal, and you don't want it. He will tell you that he is _King, _so you must do as he says…and you will promptly reply that he may be king, but he's a stubborn ass. Then, dancing – he will insist upon it, and you will secretly want to dance, but you will refuse for the sake of being contrary. Then, an hour or two of conversation – littered with bickering and childish monologues and insults, of course. And then…"

Arienne got a sick look on her face. "Never mind. I do _not _want to witness an evening between you two."

Sarah frowned in contemplation, and then realized just what Arienne was implying. She growled. "I think that's _quite _enough out of you, Arienne."

"Yes, it's official. There are now _two _Jareths running about the Underground. May the gods help us all."

By now, the earlier conversation was quite forgotten by Sarah, and she felt serene. A frightening thought crossed her mind:

_It might be nice to spend an evening with Jareth; after all, I apparently made a more serious error in my judgment than I previously thought. He really did love me...  
_

Sarah blushed mightily. If it weren't for the fact that the last part of her thought was completely true (and she would have to come to terms with it _very _soon), Sarah would've decided to stop thinking for a good, long while.

Sometimes, she _hated _having an inner nag who was always right.

-

"…And she just _stopped. _Like…her emotions weren't _there _any more. I was very surprised, and more than a little concerned; after all, she _is _human. If I didn't know better, I'd think she had some Goblin blood in her – but that's utterly impossible. No one, in any race, has ever produced a child with a human."

Zeffanora frowned thoughtfully and scratched her cheek. "Is it all that horrible to have a human magic-user in the Underground? I mean…she's hardly able to protect herself at all, as it is. Even the babies who come to the Underground get taught about their magic. Is _one _abnormal human going to throw the balance off _that much?"_

Arienne sighed. "It's not just the balance I'm worried about, to be perfectly honest. It's just…as a human, she will be accepted. As an adult magic-user, she'll have a hard time earning people's trust. And if we find out that she _does _somehow have Goblin blood…"

"…She'll never fit in. I get it. But…Jareth loves her. Or at least, I think he does. He's certainly been obsessed with her since she left four years ago. Do you really think people would be openly hostile, knowing that she's under his protection?"

"She'll still never be accepted. Just because people won't be _open _with their distrust…that won't mean she'll ever feel _comfortable."_

Zeffanora shrugged, looking inappropriately unconcerned. "He _loves _her, Arienne. They'll come round."

Arienne winced. "About that…"

"What?"

Arienne took a breath, but didn't say anything.

"Arienne," Zeffanora said, managing to sound curious and disapproving at the same time, "out with it. Whatever you know about Sarah will only serve to help us help _her. _Sarah's easy to like…and _any _information on her will-"

"She's the reason we're having all this trouble."

"Pardon?" Zeffanora looked mildly concerned now.

"She went to _that _room. She made it to the _end…_and then she _left."_

"…Oh."

For once, Zeffanora was unable to speak. Arienne couldn't bring herself to ask Zeffanora what was going on in her head; she wasn't sure she even _wanted _to know.

"So…Sarah was the catalyst for this tension? _She's _the reason we're all starting to get restless and feeling discontent, seemingly for no reason at all?"

Arienne nodded. "But you have to remember…she was a _child. _A teenager, who thought her baby brother was in danger. She didn't even realize the significance of her refusal…she thought she broke the _labyrinth, _and then didn't give it another thought when her friends assured her that everything was fine."

"I suppose," Zeffanora said slowly, "that this puts everything in a _very _different light. However, I don't agree with you about the magic."

"Oh?"

"No. Actually…I think that it's even more important to teach her to use it…if she can, that is. She will be in even more danger when the rest find out. There are a few people who will be able to see past her mistake, of course…but no matter how mulish and exasperating Jareth is, we all love and respect him. This will bring loads of trouble."

"And that's why I don't think she should be taught to access her magic. Don't you realize…if she can use magic, they'll think she knew exactly what she was doing."

"And there will be those who think that _anyway, _and she should be taught to defend herself. There is only so much she can do on her own, before someone sympathetic steps in. And we need to take into account that I'm rarely available, you act as an ambassador and therefore you are gone often, and Dorion, though he will most likely understand, never troubles himself with others. Jareth himself _could _handle it…but to have him step in would only stir them up more. They will think that she can control him, because he gave her his heart. None of us actually know how that looks or feels...or what happens after."

"That's another thing I don't understand…how Jareth, after a hundred some-odd years of being the Kingdom's living ice sculpture, suddenly gave his heart to a _mortal _girl. Sure, she's pretty enough, and likable…but in the long run," Arienne said with a sigh, "she doesn't have much to offer. Strictly from an immortal standpoint. Why did he choose _her?"_

Zeffanora glared at Arienne. "You know…I don't understand it, but I also don't _care. _She's his chosen…and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Not even Jareth. We can only help Sarah to see reason…and help her to love him as he loves her. We have discovered that Jareth does, in fact, have a heart…and I love him too much to let it stay broken."

"You make it sound like you're _in _love with him," Arienne said half-jokingly.

Zeffanora looked _highly _affronted. "Oh, my dear Arienne," she said in a sickly-sweet tone, "you know you're the only one for me."

Arienne glared to hide her blush. "I loathe you utterly."

"Ah, you wound me deeply."

"Shut up."

"If you wish, dear heart."

"I do."

Zeffanora smirked, but didn't say anything.

"…I hate you."

-

It had been a _long _day. Jareth had been working on an issue between the Singers and the Elves – the _same _conflict that had torn the two races apart long ago. And Dorion, the _only _thing that kept the two races from physically fighting, was refusing to take sides.

It was a wise decision, but it was causing mayhem between both groups. Jareth felt a little satisfied at the thought…Dorion was doing a much better job at riling them up than Jareth himself _ever _could, and by doing so, he was keeping the peace.

Sometimes, Jareth could think of nothing more he could want, besides ruling over his Kingdom. Unfortunately, this was _not _one of those times…and it didn't really have anything to do with the hostility between his people.

It had to do with Sarah, his love and his obsession, his downfall. Little Sarah Williams, who had charmed him before she knew what that meant, and who had utterly broken him. A human; a mortal; and a disease. She would eventually consume him completely, and he could only hope to be saved – or he'd die.

And, Jareth knew, she didn't know what she'd done.

He _couldn't _talk to her now; he couldn't stand face-to-face with her, and catch those eyes – once so gloriously proud and defiant, and now defiant in a completely different way. But still glorious.

It had taken him a while, but he'd finally figured out what was so _different _this time around. He'd known that Sarah was not emotionless; she was not blank. Far from it, actually. But Sarah was perpetually in zero state, which both confused him and worried him. He _knew, _of course, that Sarah had her own magic – and not magic of the human sort. He just hadn't known it was the same kind _he _used. And it hadn't helped that her potential was minute...for a being as powerful as him, it was hard to detect such a small amount of magical change.

Little Sarah Williams, mortal-yet-not, an addiction.

Even now, as he pored over the latest reports written by the Singers, he couldn't keep his thoughts off her. She was going to ruin him; be the death of him, and bring chaos to his Kingdom. And still, foolishly, he clung to that _faint _hope that she might one day come to love him.

Little Sarah Williams, the love of his life, and a plague to his heart.

He gave up his work as a bad job. He couldn't focus, couldn't _live. _She'd come back, and all the festering sadness and resentment had surfaced. She really _was _going to be the death of him…and no matter how hard he tried, he could not care. There was still a faint hope, and it would not let him forget, would not permit him to let go. He wanted to hate her, to curse her name.

But he didn't, because he _couldn't. _And if it had been _anyone _else, he would've hated her more.

And then…Sarah came. Into the castle, from the warmth of the city. He thought he heard Zeffanora's laugh, and he couldn't put on a smile. He was pouting; acting like a child; he knew it. He was _very _much aware of his feelings and actions. But Sarah made him feel like a child, and a very spoiled child at that. He had everything, except Sarah. And he would not be satisfied until he got her.

Little Sarah Williams, enchantress, goddess, and _right there…_

But he didn't call out, and she didn't turn. And, like so many other times before, Sarah passed him by, seemingly without a second thought. And he wanted to hate her more.

But he didn't, because he _couldn't._

-

Dek would never say aloud that he wasn't smart. His older sister was smart, and that made him want to be. She was his idol, his shining star; his role model. Dek _wasn't _smart, but that didn't mean he wasn't perceptive.

One of the perks of being a goblin was the ability to hide well. His small body could fit into small spaces, and his coloring usually blended in. He had perfected his ability, and was now hidden inside a hole between the stones in the wall. And, while His Majesty didn't see Sarah's face look torn, and Sarah didn't see His Majesty's expression grow a little darker when Sarah passed, Dek saw and stored the information away for later inspection.

He saw the fleeting glances Sarah tossed in His Majesty's direction when she was sure he wasn't looking, and he saw His Majesty follow Sarah with his eyes – wherever she went. Dek may not have been the _smartest _goblin, but he was no fool. He just didn't know if there was anything _anyone _could do. He supposed the only thing anyone could do was watch and subtly push and hope for the best – and turn a blind eye when the tension finally snapped and the argument became physical…

One way or the other.

-

She _wasn't _crazy. Anyone could have told you that; there was a look in her eyes that said, "Yes, I am talking nonsense, and yes, it's all true." It was too much for Veronica to take in, and no matter how sane Heather was, Veronica couldn't wrap her mind around a concept like this.

A play that they'd seen, which didn't really run?

A life ruined, because of a simple wish?

A King, kidnapping an actress?

Thirteen hours spent in a labyrinth, but returned in the blink of an eye?

None of it made sense. It wasn't _normal. _It _couldn't _be real…and yet, Heather's eyes said it all.

Veronica had long ago stopped believing in fairy tales; she had a daughter now, and a job, and bills and a house to keep up. She needed some semblance of normalcy in her life, especially since her daughter seemed quite unstable.

So for now, Veronica wasn't going to think about it. She wasn't going to worry about her misgivings, and she wasn't going to worry about whether Heather was sane or not. She'd make an appointment with the therapist, and let them decide how to help her daughter.

It was all _too much._

Veronica watched Heather climb out of the car and skip toward school. It was always the happy ones, wasn't it? The ones who believed that everything was possible.

Heather truly believed there was such a thing as a fairy-tale princess who would get her happy ending. Princesses existed, surely. Perhaps even _fairy-tale _princesses. But one thing was certain:

There was no such thing as a happy ending.

-

I was -so- tempted to put in a line where someone walks in on Jareth's musings and he scowls and says, "Go away, I'm angsting." But I got hold of myself before I did. I want to do something with that later in the story (and it will be a joke).

I should make a point here. Right now, you're probably thinking that Arienne and Zeffanora have something going on. Well, I can't tell you how things will end up, but as you can see, Zeff has no idea how Ari feels, and so right now, all we know is that Arienne likes or has a crush on Zeffanora. I'm sorry if you feel the need to stop reading this because of a -very- minor pairing between two girls; I am planning for the loss of readers because people can be lovophobes (an original term for those who are afraid of love...no matter what gender, it's still love), but I'm -hoping- those of you who don't prefer girl/girl will be able to overlook this. I don't even know where it's going...it's pretty much writing itself. If I try to force it, I'll lose interest.

And, randomly, does anyone find it insanely cute when authors end their chapters with "Please leave a contribution in the little box?" I find it so adorable (and amusing). But I can't bring myself to write it here, because I don't ask for reviews. So...I'm not-so-subtly suggesting that you all read other Labyrinth fics, so you can see it in action.


	6. Something Like Genesis

_In the beginning, the Woman saith: I would ask ye, O man, to aid thy Master._

_And the man didst come: he would not disobey._

_And the Woman was pleased. She stood upon the Hill of Ages, and frowned upon Her world._

_O man, saith the Woman: this world doth lack._

_And the man frowned upon Her world._

_O Master, saith the man: what wouldst thou have me do?_

_And the Woman was pleased. She smiled upon the man, and took him up into the Sky._

_The man saw the Woman's power, and sought to steal it._

_And the Woman saith: O man, I wouldst have thee make children for this land. For it is empty, and it doth lack._

_And the man did as She bade him do._

_But the man was a deceitful and jealous creature, and thought to subdue the Woman._

_And the man saith: O Woman, heed my words. Thou art my master, and I will serve thee always._

_But his eyes betrayed him, and verily his words did hurt the Woman's ears. And the Woman believed him not, and She refused to look upon him._

_But the man wouldst be Her master, and he called upon the darkness which she had put away._

_And the man sought Her once more, and saith: O Woman, heed my words. Thou art but a Woman, and I will subdue thee. And he called upon the darkness, and commanded that the Woman be trapped within._

_But the Woman knew the darkness: she had put it away. And She spoke to the darkness, saying: Darkness, heed my words. I have put you away, and I would that you go back from whence ye came._

_Her darkness heeded her not: the wicked man didst offer It freedom._

_And the man worked a spell, in all manners which the Woman abhorred. And the spell bound the Woman to the land, which thought to protect her. And verily, the land didst twist around, and wouldst keep the man out._

_The Woman sorrowed, and the Sky darkened, and the Moon turned Her face away, and the Stars refused to shed light upon Her world. And the land was dark: but still it wouldst not betray Her._

_Verily, the Woman told the land to let the man in. And the man was let in: and the Woman thought to spit upon him. But the Woman did not, for She was kind, and the man had made Her children._

_And the man sought to kill her. But he could not: the Woman wouldst speak with him, and his ears wouldst hear her words._

_And the Woman saith: O man, thou hast betrayed me. But thou art the maker of my children, and I will set them free._

_And the Woman set Her children free, and they loved her._

_The man frowned upon Her, and again saith: O Woman, heed my words. Thou art but a Woman, and I have subdued thee._

_And the Woman saith: Thou hast no power over me._

_And the land unbound the Woman: verily, She was free. And the man could do nothing to Her, and the Sky didst look upon the land once more._

_But Her children wouldst love only her, and the man was angry. He called upon the darkness again, and spoke: O darkness, heed my words. Thou must find the children, and bring them to me._

_And the Woman looked on, and sorrowed. And once more the Sky darkened._

_But the Woman would not that Her children be found, and She called out to the man: O man, heed my words. Thou art a fool, and thou art a villain. If ye desire power which is not yours, it shall be granted._

_And the Woman worked a spell, and laid it upon the man. And he was bound to the land, and could not disobey._

_But the darkness had found a child, and the Woman sorrowed exceedingly. And to the land, She cried: O land, heed my words. Verily, thou art good, and the darkness is not. I would that ye unbind this man's body, but not his spirit. And he shall be bound to thee, and shall answer to thee. _

_And She cried to the darkness: O darkness, heed my words. Thou art mine, and I would that ye be bound to the land also. And thou shalt forever seek to carry out this man's wishes, and he will feel remorse._

_But the man did not, and the Woman sorrowed exceedingly. And the Sky hid Its face, saying: Verily, O Woman, thou art good, but I cannot smile upon this man. And It would not look upon the land._

_And the Woman saw that the man had sought out the child, and bound him to the land. And the Woman was angry, and spoke to the man, saying: Ye have not learned, O man, and this land suffereth because of it. I curse thee, and this child you have despoiled, and his children after. And thou shalt be killed, and thou shalt not know mercy._

_And the man still sought to subdue Her, and called upon the darkness again._

_But the Woman feared not. And the Woman saith: I would not that ye live, for the blood of my child hath set me upon thee._

_And the man was rent in two, and it was finished._

_And the Woman looked upon the man, and sorrowed. And the Woman wept, and Her tears called upon the Sky. And verily, the Sky didst accept Her offering, and It looked upon the land once more._

-

Okay...if you all are wondering just what the hell I'm on...well, I have no clue. This chapter is merely back story, which I couldn't put into a full chapter because it wouldn't flow. In the next chapter (which is halfway written already), I'm going to explain this, but until I post it...well, I'm very sorry. Just look at this as the history of the labyrinth...or rather, the history of the Underground. I'm going to post chapters like this along the way - chapters which are stories from the same book. I'll give you a hint: read the chapter title. I'm not christian, but I couldn't resist giving the Goblin Kingdom a book akin to the bible. Again, it wrote itself.


	7. Eccentricities

Sarah had been lying with her head on the book for some time now. Jareth knew that she was sleeping, and he took the opportunity to observe her.

Her brown hair, which had been cut slightly since he'd last seen her, was up in a French braided bun. She'd grown two inches or so, but her face hadn't lost all its childish markings. He wasn't surprised; it had only bee four years.

She looked lovely in her new clothes. After some persuasion from Arienne, Sarah had consented to a shopping trip. Jareth knew that her resistance had little to do with being contrary (he didn't know how she'd held up that long, wearing the same clothes for five days straight). Rather, she didn't want anyone to buy clothes for her. She was still as prideful as ever, but he really couldn't imagine it any other way.

She was dressed in some loose-fitting, black men's pants (she refused to wear dresses, the stubborn thing) and a loose green blouse. He smiled a little; she had decided to purchase the softest, thinnest, and most flexible shoes she could find. They would be perfect for running, in case she wanted to run away.

She mumbled something in her sleep, and shifted her head to rest more comfortably on the thick book. Her eyes did not open.

Jareth wanted very much for them to…and at the same time, he didn't think he could bring himself to look at them. They had always been hard to meet, and now…

He didn't think he could look into them and see the anger that must be there. He had never thought of himself as a cowardly man, and neither had any of his subjects. But in matters concerning Sarah, he felt weak and defenseless. He left the room and headed toward the back of his castle, pondering his predicament.

He was immortal, a King in the Underground. He had lived his whole life in zero state; or at least, he had been in zero state for as long as he could remember. It was crucial to the Kingdom that he stay focused, and suppress those emotions that would potentially put his people in danger.

The only trouble he'd had, in the hundred and fifty years that he had been King, was his feelings for Sarah.

He loved Sarah; he had known that since before she'd been born. He felt like a fool for desperately hoping she could come to love him, too…but, as with all other Sarah-related issues, he felt powerless against the hope.

He sincerely hoped that his love for her would not be the Kingdom's downfall.

-

Tern had been right; the Goblin City _was _a nice place. Sarah had been finding that most of her ideas had been _very _wrong…not least the ones about the Goblin King. And speaking of him…

Sarah had been ignoring her own thoughts for a while now, but she couldn't do that any longer. Ever since she'd stopped believing in 'her silly fantasies,' she'd given up thinking about him. He had never _really _left her…but she had left _him._

Was it wrong to be unregretful? She had _really _thought Toby was in trouble.

She looked around the square by Arienne's house, and sighed. If she'd seen this part of the Goblin Kingdom, would she have changed her mind?

…Probably not, she realized, and she sighed. Things were confusing here.

She had been Underground for nearly a week, and she was still expected to stay with Arienne or Zeffanora when she wasn't in the castle. Neither 'Zeff (as Sarah had been instructed to call her)' nor Arienne would tell her _why, _though Sarah suspected that was Arienne's wish and not Zeff's.

Today, Arienne was taking her to meet a friend of hers, Dorion. According to Arienne, Dorion was part Singer, part Elf, and he was essentially the only thing keeping the Singers and the Elves from breaking out into physical confrontation.

Sarah had been learning Underground politics, by listening and watching, and she found it infinitely more interesting than world politics from Above. Perhaps because, despite the fact that people had violent disagreements, everyone Underground could think and talk rationally…for the most part. She was finding out just how handy zero state could be.

And speaking of zero state…

"Sarah, I know we haven't talked about this in a while, but I'd like you to tell me a little more about yourself; specifically, your zero state and what happens to you," Arienne said, looking over her shoulder as she led Sarah through a small alley.

Sarah shrugged. "I don't know how to properly explain it. I mean…you can do it, so you know how it is, right?"

"Well, yes…but I want to find out more about yours."

"Okay…" Sarah thought for a moment, and followed Arienne around a corner. They stepped into another narrow alley, and Sarah continued.

"I guess it's like…intentional repression. It's natural now…I don't have to think about it. But in the beginning, I would've called it intentional repression."

"Repression?"

"Yeah."

"Can you explain?"

"Sure. To quote Sigmund Freud…"

Sarah took a breath, recalling the words she'd read. "Suppose that here in this hall and in this audience, whose exemplary stillness and attention I cannot sufficiently commend, there is an individual who is creating a disturbance, and, by his ill-bred laughing, talking, by scraping his feet, distracts my attention from my task. I explain that I cannot go on with my lecture under these conditions, and thereupon several strong men among you get up, and, after a short struggle, eject the disturber of the peace from the hall. He is now "repressed,"and I can continue my lecture. But in order that the disturbance may not be repeated, in case the man who has just been thrown out attempts to force his way back into the room, the gentlemen who have executed my suggestion take their chairs to the door and establish themselves as a "resistance"to keep up the repression. Now, if you transfer both locations to the psyche, calling this "consciousness," and the outside the "unconscious,"you have a tolerably good illustration of the process of repression."

Arienne stopped and turned to Sarah with an odd look on her face. "That sounds very like zero state…but I still can't figure out how you learned it."

"I'm abnormal, remember?"

Arienne smiled, and gestured for Sarah to follow her. "Dorion lives a bit beyond the next cluster. I think you'll like him."

"I certainly hope so; if I am to stay here, I should like to make friends."

She followed Arienne down a small street that ran through a charming, old-fashioned cluster of houses. Many of the houses in the Underground looked similar to the modern houses Above, but this particular cluster reminded her of the old rural areas of Portland. She missed the New England look, and was glad to see something similar in the Underground.

"Arienne," Sarah asked presently, "why is it I never saw any of this when I first ran the labyrinth?"

Arienne laughed and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "You weren't supposed to!"

_As if that explains everything._

"That doesn't really explain anything. Care to elaborate?"

"Sure. Jareth doesn't like the challengers to see the more positive side of the Goblin Kingdom. I'm sure you're aware by now that the Labyrinth _is _the Goblin Kingdom; or rather, everyone who lives in the Kingdom resides somewhere within the Labyrinth. If challengers saw this side, they'd want to stay. The _point _of having wishers run the labyrinth is to teach lessons. Jareth would have a hard time getting his point across if everyone who ran decided to abandon their child. He seals these parts off during a trial."

Sarah was surprised for a moment, but then nodded. It made sense.

"So…where _exactly _does Dorion live?"

"He lives in the Fen," Arienne answered, and beckoned to Sarah.

She pointed through a gap between two houses. "See that land, over there?"

Sarah frowned. "That's…very _wet."_

"Well, what were you expecting? It's the _Fen."_

"Oh…right. I guess I'm so used to things being _different _down here that I didn't expect the Fen to be so…fen-like."

Arienne laughed again. "Well, you're half right. They've kept drained a good portion of the land, and regular maintenance does wonders for their homes. Unlike humans, we use magic…so our Fen is mostly comfortably habitable."

"That's useful," Sarah remarked with a nod of her head.

"I have a little 'aside' for you, if you'd like to hear it."

"Sure."

They had crossed the border between the cluster and the Fen outskirts, and Sarah was careful to follow Arienne's footsteps exactly as she listened to the tale.

"Before Jareth was born, this land wasn't nearly as tame as it is now. When people began to get restless, and wanted a place to migrate to, the King ordered a partial draining of the Fen and decreed it a sanctuary. Well, there was much to be done, so the workers split into groups. One group stumbled upon a bog, the smell of which made them vomit and gag."

Sarah raised an eyebrow. "The Bog of Eternal Stench?"

"Right in one."

"But…I didn't think that a bog could exist _within _a fen…"

Arienne smiled. "That's one of the differences between the Underground and where you come from. Remember, the land is alive here. Some go so far as to call it sentient; however, that's not strictly true. It's just more characterized than the land of Above."

"Wait," Sarah said with a frown. "I've _been _to the Bog, and it was nowhere _near _the Fen."

Arienne nodded. "It _isn't _near here. The King heard the news, and came right away to see if he could help the workers with their problem. He took one whiff, and declared, "This foul-smelling bog is _perfect _for a challenge in my labyrinth!" And with a wave of his hand, the Bog was completely relocated to the labyrinth."

"Ah! So, the mystery is solved! I always wondered why a bog would randomly pop up in the place it was."

Arienne smiled absently, seeming to look around for something. Presently, she put a finger to her lips. Sarah held her breath and was quiet.

Arienne faced empty air, and repeated what sounded like a chant:

_Trevuo, tenfföeg,_ _otrepa, otreiba, NEPO!_

As if by magic (and Sarah doubted it was caused by anything else), a free-standing wooden door appeared. Arienne chuckled, opened the door, and motioned for Sarah to follow.

"What was that phrase, Arienne? It sounded like a chant or something…what language was that?"

Arienne shook her head and gave Sarah a half-smirk. "It wasn't a chant…merely a password. And…as to the language…well, it was a combination of French, German, Italian, Spanish, and English."

Sarah furrowed her brow. "I didn't recognize any of those words, and I _speak _French and English."

Arienne grinned conspiratorially at Sarah. "Well, don't tell Dorion I said this, but he's a _very _strange person. He's fluent in all five languages, plus Romanian and Finnish. But he's also paranoid, and he chose five languages, and used the word 'open' in each language – pronounced backwards, of course."

Sarah felt the urge to laugh, and did so. "I think you're right…I _am _going to like this Dorion fellow."

She and Arienne were following a narrow corridor (which hadn't been visible behind the door), and Sarah gazed about. There were decorative ornaments, seeming to hang in midair, but she could see the faint outlines of near-invisible shelves. A candelabra here, pair of fighting knives there…

As they traveled deeper into…wherever they were headed…the objects on the invisible shelves began to seem significant. On the left, there were instruments, rolls of sheet music, and pendants, which seemed to hum, albeit silently. On the right, there were nosegays, various dried plants, and (for some reason) what looked remarkably like an empty Pizza Hut pizza box.

Arienne noticed the direction of Sarah's gaze and chuckled quietly. "Yet another manifestation of Dorion's…oddness."

"Where did he get it?"

"Why, from Above, of course!"

Sarah frowned in confusion. "I thought that people from the Underground didn't have access to the world Above."

Arienne scrunched up her nose with laughing eyes. "Usually, that's true. However, Dorion's grandfather was originally human, wished away by his mother and raised by Elves. He married an Elf, and had a daughter. Dorion's mother is somewhat of a wild spirit; she never could understand why the Elves and the Singers were always at odds. And…she fell in love with a Singer. They couldn't marry…but they still had a child together. Dorion.

Since Dorion is one-quarter human, he is able to access the world Above, and his Singer and Elf blood give him the strength to do so. He's very fond of pizza. I tasted it, once, but the taste was horrible."

"Yeah…I never cared for pizza either," Sarah replied with a slight grin.

"Oh? What was _your _favorite food?"

Sarah scratched her cheek, a little embarrassed. "Well…you're going to think this is _extremely _strange, but I've always loved peaches. Before I ran the labyrinth, they had been my favorite thing to eat. After I left the Underground, I couldn't get enough of them."

Arienne threw back her head and laughed heartily, reminding Sarah of Zeff. "Oh, Sarah! I knew you were an interesting person!"

A male voice reached Sarah's ears. "And _who _is this interesting person?"

Arienne smiled into the empty air. "This is Sarah. Sarah Williams, who-"

An odd-looking man stepped into the corridor, seemingly out of nowhere, a jovial grin adorning his face. "Sarah Williams! I'm absolutely _honored _to meet you! Delighted! Ecstatic!"

Arienne rolled her eyes and leaned over to whisper loudly into Sarah's ear. "I told you he was odd."

Dorion just shrugged and smiled brightly. "Yes, yes. I am _very _odd. Now…how would you two lovely ladies like to come inside and eat with me?"

Sarah nodded, and studied him briefly. His black hair seemed to shine, even in the dimness of the corridor, and his unremarkable grey eyes made her think he knew all her secrets, and was amused by them. He wasn't tall; in fact, he was roughly an inch shorter than Sarah. His odd, baggy, mismatched clothing only served to add to his jolly appearance.

With a casually tossed "Lemme in," another freestanding door appeared.

Yes, Arienne was right. Dorion _was _odd. But Sarah liked him anyway.

-

Next chapter I'll check up on Toby and Heather, let Sarah meet more Goblin people, and have a semi-serious heart-to-heart with someone important. By the way, Goblin people are residents of the Goblin Kingdom, whereas goblins are just that - goblins. I hope I haven't confused anyone.


	8. Meetings and Greetings

Heather watched the young blond boy with interest. They were both waiting for therapists; another child in the room shouldn't have fazed her. But he drew her attention, because he was the _same._

She'd noticed his eyes, first. His eyes had the same sparkle that Sarah's did, and the Goblin King's. He further interested her by ignoring the Legos, blocks, and puzzles, in favor of an old, red, leather-bound book.

A child as young as he was usually didn't read books like that. Even if a child was taught to read early on, most five-year-olds didn't possess the attention span. But this boy did, and Heather felt the need to talk to him.

She carefully made her way around a sullen eight-year-old girl building a castle out of Legos, and sat down next to the boy, who immediately marked his page and looked expectantly at her.

Heather decided to start slowly. "Hi," she said, "I'm Heather Jensen. What's your name?"

The boy studied her for a moment, before answering, "Toby Williams."

Toby Williams

_Williams._

Heather leaned in to whisper to this _Toby. _It was worth a try, at least. "Do you have an older sister?"

Toby glanced around, as if to tell her he recognized the need for secrecy, before nodding solemnly. "Her name is Sarah. But Mommy and Daddy think she's not real."

Heather's breath caught in her throat. "Sarah, you say?"

She received another nod, and she decided to recklessly plunge ahead. "I know where she is."

Toby's eyes widened in surprise. "Where is she?"

It was a testament to the gravity of the situation that neither Heather nor Toby had raised their voices above a whisper.

"Well…it's my fault she's gone…I saw her play, Labyrinth, and I-"

Toby held up his book, and Heather read the title. _Labyrinth._

"Is she in the Underground?"

Heather nodded. "But I need to tell you my story. I saw her play, and she signed my program. We were talking about the lines, and I said that the Words were stupid, and I told her what I'd say if I wanted to wish her away. Then the Goblin King came and took her, and I tried to save her, but…I couldn't. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wish your sister away."

Toby frowned, watching her face. She suddenly felt uneasy; it felt as if Toby could see her every thought. Then, he whispered, "What were the real words?"

Heather shook her head vehemently. "I can't tell you. The goblins will come for you, too. I don't think the king would be very pleased if I wished _another _person away, and on purpose this time."

"Well, we need to save her! That man is scary. He might be hurting her," Toby replied, raising the volume of his whisper a bit.

Heather cocked her head. "I don't think he will, because I think he still loves her. But you're right, we need to go there."

Toby furrowed his brow. "Why?"

"Because," Heather said patiently, "they think we're crazy. Your parents are probably in there, talking to your therapist about treatment plans. I know my mom is, because I heard them talking before they shut the door. We're not crazy, and I know that the grownups will never understand."

Toby looked hesitant, but then he sighed and whispered, "What are we gonna do?"

"I don't know. What grade are you in?"

Toby grinned slightly. "Kindergarten, finally."

"I'm in fourth grade. What school do you go to?"

"Longfellow Elementary."

Heather smiled brightly. "Me too. We must live close to each other. That's probably why we ran into each other here."

Toby nodded, catching on to Heather's idea. "I'll see you at school."

The kid was much smarter than an average five-year-old.

Heather shushed him, as his parents came out of the door. Toby picked up his book again, and Heather stared off into space. His parents were looking troubled, and told him to 'come on,' because they were going to lunch.

As he left with his parents, their eyes met, and Heather knew that she wasn't completely alone.

-

Sarah was back, and she hadn't come to see him. Sure, she had to be with someone at all times, but she could've asked to see him.

Hoggle felt a little betrayed. He was used to being ignored, but he'd never thought Sarah would ignore him. She'd been a great friend, and called him a friend…

A fairy flew up and perched on his shoulder, near his neck. He couldn't spray her without getting himself in the eyes…damn fairies.

To his surprise, the fairy didn't bite him. Instead, she whispered in his ear.

"Sarah Williams is back."

Hoggle grunted. He _knew _that already.

"She keeps asking about you, but she hasn't been able to come see you."

_That _was news.

"Why are you tellin' me this?"

The fairy giggled and flew away, leaving a very irritated Hoggle behind. And, to make matters worse…he couldn't spray her, because she'd been _nice._

But…Sarah had _tried _to see him. That was better than nothing.

Maybe he would go to the Goblin City, and find her himself.

-

In Jareth's castle, there was a sometimes-there room. The sometimes-there room would only show up when a person wasn't looking for it, and when there was no conscious need of it. The room would pop up randomly in different parts of the castle, but its home was at the back.

Sarah had found this out purely by chance; she'd overheard three goblins (Dek, Noddy and Val, a trio of friends) speaking about it. Or rather, she'd heard Dek telling Noddy and Val about it.

"_You can never find it if you're looking," Dek said, winking, "because it's designed to give to people the help that their minds don't realize. But you _can _find it if you go to the back, and concentrate on it."_

"_Why would you want to find a place like that? It seems pointless."_

_Dek grinned wickedly. "I don't know exactly what's in there, but people sometimes call it the 'wish room.' Maybe it makes your wishes come true."_

Sarah didn't want the room to grant any wishes, but she _did _want to see her subconscious. It had gotten harder each day to call up her heavy emotions; she knew that the magic of the Underground was to blame, but that didn't make it any easier. Above, she had always been able to summon her emotions at the drop of a hat; that was what made her such an excellent actress. Now, it was becoming extremely difficult to do so.

Sarah walked to back of the castle. This was another magical trick; the back of the castle had several doors, each leading to a place outside. But there was a door hidden in the corner that, when opened, would seal the other doors. Sarah opened it, and concentrated on this sometimes-there room.

She didn't immediately notice anything different, until she glanced inside the door she'd opened. Usually, the door would open into nothing; a person would see the stone wall behind it. But now, it opened into a _very _large room, which looked like it could be a library, a chemistry lab, a bedroom, and a warehouse all at once.

Taking a deep breath, Sarah entered the room, jumping as the door slammed shut behind her of its own accord.

The room was beautiful. In normal circumstances, it would be a strange place, and unappealing – but everything _glowed _and…seemed to hum. She didn't know why, but it sounded a bit like Dorion's decorations.

She wandered aimlessly through the library portion of the odd room, examining the shelves of books and tables holding documents that looked to be unfinished manuscripts. Occasionally, one of the unfinished books would suddenly gain a cover and float to a shelf. Sarah wondered idly who was writing them.

She came to the end of a long row of bookshelves, and stepped into the part of the room that could be a bedroom. It was interestingly furnished; there was a bed, but the sheets and blankets indicated that no one ever used it. She walked to examine it, feeling the soft cotton of the pillowcases and the patterns on the quilt.

_And here I thought this castle would be as lavish and outrageous as his clothes, _Sarah thought, and snickered. She heard a sharp intake of breath, and she jumped to see who was in the room with her.

Sarah looked at the person blankly for a moment, and then widened her eyes. "Oh, crap," she said, and sank onto the bed.

Jareth, the Goblin King, the sex god that had-

_No, don't think about that._

Ahem, he was standing in front of her, and she couldn't tell if he was surprised or livid.

Damn zero state.

"Hey," Sarah said, a nervous smile playing on her face.

Jareth stood impassively.

"Fancy meeting you here."

Jareth arched an eyebrow, and then smirked. "Indeed."

They were both silent after that.

But Sarah had never been one to give in to her unease, and decided to get her questions out of the way.

"What is this place, anyway?"

He hesitated, and then answered with a shrug, "It's a room in my castle. It's called the Subconscious Room, and like its name suggests, it will reflect the subconscious desires of the person. There can be any number of people in the room at a time, but they will never see each other, because the magical properties of the room allow their subconscious to create the room. I don't know how _you _got into _my _room."

"Er…maybe we both subconsciously…desire…the same thing," Sarah tossed out lamely.

Jareth raised his eyebrow again. Sarah really wished he'd stop doing that, because it only served to add to his 'sex god' image.

"I don't think it quite works like that, luv," he said in that voice Sarah loved to hate. It made her feel childish, vulnerable, and utterly ridiculous.

So, like any intelligent woman would do, she changed the subject.

"Why is it that I can feel?"

"Why would you _not?"_

Sarah shrugged. "Arienne told me about zero state. It made sense, because I'm having trouble accessing my emotions as of late. But I still laugh when things are amusing, my heart flutters when I'm nervous, and I feel frustrated when something is tiresome. If what Arienne says is true, and I _am _always in zero state, then why am I able to feel those things?"

"You've got it all wrong," Jareth said, in that _other _voice Sarah hated – the mocking one, which sounded sensual even as he implied her incapability. "Zero state merely blocks the heavy, dangerous emotions – like rage, depression, et cetera. Your surface feelings – frustration, amusement, nervousness (and I'd _love _to know what makes you nervous, my _dear) _– are not big enough to be suppressed."

Sarah would _not _tell him what made her nervous.

"_You _make me nervous," Sarah heard her voice say conversationally, and she silently cursed her mouth for betraying her.

Jareth didn't look amused this time (but that wasn't to say he _wasn't); _rather, he looked mildly curious. Then, he smirked (_there's _that amusement we all hate to love).

"And what is it, about me, that makes your heart flutter?"

He was baiting her. She _knew _this, she may have been young, but she'd had plenty of experience with things like _this. _Still, honesty _was _the best policy.

"When you look at me, and I can't read you. I don't like being in the dark, you know. And when you speak to me…your tone of voice doesn't give anything away, either. I'm not used to feeling out of control, and you're the only thing – person – whatever, who can make me feel that way. I'm a strong believer in personal empowerment, and you disrupt my – are you _laughing _at me? Augh! You're terrible!"

Jareth's amusement showed plainly on his face. "Ah, little Sarah," he said, making her feel like the petulant child she once was.

"Your little tirades are _quite _refreshing. How I've missed your blatant mistrust. It's the most fun I've had in ages."

Sarah used his own technique against him, and arched an eyebrow. "And you, _Your Majesty. _How I've missed being belittled by you. Your demeaning, mocking voice is all that's kept me going so far," she replied dryly.

"Hmm. You have no idea how _glad _that makes me."

"I'm _overjoyed _that you feel that way. I only live to _please _you, after all. My _whole reason _for existence is to _make you happy."_

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Honestly, _Your Majesty. _You're the only one who makes me feel this way. You should feel lucky that I'm in zero state."

Jareth frowned mockingly. "And why is that, luv?"

Sarah smirked. "Because when I'm angered, I can be a vindictive bitch."

"Ah, such a delightful subject. A woman who dares to argue with me; a woman who _loves _to argue with me. I'm _honored _to be your King."

"Quite. I'm sure I'm the _only one _brave enough to let you know how mulish and _infuriating _you are."

"Actually, that one _is _true," he said, and studied her in a way that she knew she wasn't supposed to be comfortable with. But instead of making her nervous, she felt a thrill. She'd never known how wonderful it was to be contrary merely for the sake of being contrary. She liked it.

Unfortunately, now she was at a loss for words. So, she'd told off the Goblin King, and he hadn't turned her into a goblin…or done anything other than respond to her taunts.

Now what?

"Tell me, Sarah…what were you looking for when you found this room?"

She shrugged. "I was trying to find a way to get in touch with all the emotions I've repressed. I rather _like _being a vindictive bitch, but I don't have enough motivation. Oh, and of course, I'd like to figure out _why _I'm repressing all of this. It's not like I'm supposed to have magic, or even be able to live in zero state. Arienne says it's because I'm abnormal."

"That you are," Jareth agreed, and Sarah scowled.

"There you go, being infuriating again. You're lucky I don't hate you."

"You _don't?"_

Sarah was _sure _she'd heard surprise in there.

"No," she answered, shrugging off the uneasy feeling the surprise gave her. "Sure, you manipulated me, lied to me, tricked me, tricked my friends, sent goblins after me, and took my little brother away…but I can't deny that it all could've been avoided if I hadn't wished him away in the first place."

Jareth was still standing, and Sarah felt as if he was looking down at her. "Would you _sit down, _please? You're making me nervous again."

To her surprise, Jareth sat in a chair that had magically appeared from nowhere.

"And _what, _exactly, made you come to this conclusion?"

"Age," she said simply, and then asked the question that had been nagging her most.

"Why does this bed have a patchwork coverlet?"

-

I know, I promised to let Sarah meet more people this chapter, but I thought this worked better. Ooh, Heather and Toby met each other! Their timing will come into play later, but for now, let us all assume that it was one lucky coincidence.


	9. Bad News

Jareth looked at Sarah, giving the impression that he was meeting her eyes. What a _ridiculous _question! Did it matter?

Apparently.

"I have a patchwork coverlet because it's _comfortable."_

Sarah looked at him blankly. "I know it's comfortable."

Jareth raised an eyebrow. It seemed to get on her nerves.

"I just wondered…" Sarah trailed off, and now it was _Jareth's _turn to be curious, but he didn't ask his question. He didn't need to.

Her lips twisted into a smirk. "I mean…you're always running around in those super-tight getups, and those couldn't _possibly _be comfortable. _I _think this bed would be pleasant, but I suppose I just expected _your_ bedto be as inconvenient as…"

Sarah glared at him as he chuckled. It wasn't a pleasant laugh, and he knew it. "Ah, little Sarah," he replied, "once again, you _astound _me. I had no idea you wanted to share my _bed."_

Her widened eyes and irritated downward twitch of the lips was a pleasant sight indeed.

"You are _insufferable, _Your Majesty. If I didn't know better, I'd think you _wanted _me in your bed. I'd accept the invitation, but I'm afraid that wouldn't work. You see, I'm not _that _kind of girl. I prefer to share beds with _women."_

Jareth sat still for several moments, struggling to put her words out of his mind. It was apparent from her self-satisfied smirk that she'd been going for that. Unfortunately for her, he had _much _more experience with this sort of thing.

"And I had _so many _things planned," Jareth purred, moving from his chair to sit beside her and whisper in her ear. Sarah went rigid. He could see her eyes close and her fists clench, and he knew exactly why. "But I guess you'll never know exactly…" He moved closer, but didn't touch her, "…what…" He blew air into her ear, "…they are."

He drew away, noting the slight stricken look on Sarah's face. "How unfortunate."

Jareth made to stroke her cheek, but didn't get very far. As soon as they made contact, _something _rolled through the room, and Sarah tensed even further, wide-eyed.

Jareth didn't like it either. Something _wrong _was happening…not to his subjects, but to himself and Sarah. Whatever it was, it had been instigated by their contact, and it was unpleasant, to put things mildly.

The feeling was nauseating; almost vomit-inducing; and, at the same time, akin to a jolt to the heart. His heart was beating double-time, and he could see that Sarah's was, also. He didn't understand…he'd only _touched _her, and briefly at that.

But, he realized, he'd never before touched her directly. He'd thought about it, certainly – and _gods, _he wanted it to happen – but, other than in the safety of her dream, he'd never actually done it.

Why could he not touch her?

"W-what was…_that," _Sarah asked shakily, all traces of playfulness gone.

Jareth didn't answer; he had no more answers than she did.

Sarah stood, cradling her right hand in her left at the base of her throat, and wobbled. "I'm…I need to…bye," she whispered, before she ran for the door.

He fought back another particularly harsh wave of nausea.

_Oh, gods, why couldn't he touch her?_

-

Zeffanora watched Sarah's face carefully. She was visibly shaken, which was alarming; if she could see Sarah's fright, then without zero state, she'd be having a panic attack.

What could've happened to shake her this much?

Arienne had never been as patient as Zeffanora. "Sarah, what's wrong?"

Sarah's eyes widened, and she smoothed out her face. "Nothing's wrong. Why would you ask that?"

Clever, and almost believable; but Sarah had almost no experience, and both Zeffanora and Arienne knew how to read people.

"I know that's not the case," Zeffanora said, and then took Sarah's arm and led her out of the castle doors.

She and Arienne had come to see Sarah; they'd noticed a dwarf in the village, asking about her, and had guessed (correctly) that he was the Hoggle Sarah had asked about. But when they'd found Sarah, staring at her bedroom wall and shaking visibly, they'd pulled her toward the doors, deciding to skip the visit.

They had waited for her to say something – _anything – _but she hadn't.

Sarah let herself be led. She looked sick. Zeffanora shared a glance with Arienne, who nodded and stepped back.

Zeffanora picked Sarah up, and carried her out of the castle doors. Once the sun hit her, Sarah seemed to realize that she was in Zeffanora's arms, and struggled to get free. "Zeff, put me down! I can walk, I'm fine, and all that jazz, so just put me down!"

Zeffanora ignored Sarah and carried her all the way to her house.

Sarah fought until Zeffanora set her down gently in front of a small cottage.

"Before we go in," Arienne said sternly, "I want to make sure you know why we're here."

Sarah looked expectantly at her.

"First," Zeffanora said, taking over for Arienne, "this is _my _house, _my _rules, and _I'm _not going to tolerate any bullshit. You're not okay, and we _all _know it, so cut the act and don't lie. Lying is self-destructive, and it doesn't get you anywhere. Second, I will _not _let you leave until you've calmed down, and I will tie you down if I have to. You look as if you're going to throw up any moment, and I don't particularly want you to pass out, either."

Sarah only nodded, looking slightly dazed. She'd never seen Zeffanora slip into her army persona, and was apparently shocked.

Arienne smiled. "Well, shall we?"

They didn't wait for a response, and steered Sarah inside.

Zeffanora had always liked her house. It was small; she'd never fancied living in a mansion or a castle, though she could've if she'd wanted. Her parents _had _left her their estates. The kitchen was the biggest room in the house (her secret passion was cooking), and her bedroom was plain, with wooden floors and off-white walls. Her drawing room was clean, tidy, and sparsely furnished, and…that was it. She lived alone, and she didn't like empty extra space.

Sarah, apparently, liked it as well; a small smile of appreciation made itself known on her otherwise strained face.

Zeffanora called a chair into existence, and gently pushed Sarah into it.

"So?" Arienne had a 'no-nonsense' expression on her face, and her word seemed to shake Sarah out of…wherever she'd gone in her head.

"I'm…not sure if I should tell you."

_This _wasn't looking good.

"Tell us _what, _exactly? I'm sure that, if you aren't meant to tell, you won't be able to."

Sarah looked confused, as was to be expected. "What do you mean?"

Arienne shrugged. "If there's a secret meant to stay within the castle, people can try and try, but their mouths won't let them say anything. It's a protection spell."

Sarah nodded. "So…if I can't say it, it's supposed to stay within the castle?"

Zeffanora smirked. "Yes. But don't even _think _about pretending…there are some nasty side-effects, which I will _not _be telling you at this time."

With a sigh, Sarah began, "Well, I went to the Subconscious Room…"

Arienne started. "You…_went _there? You _found _it?"

"Well, yeah…I know how to get in, after all. I didn't know it was a secret."

"It's not…but it's not exactly spread around, either."

"Ah. Well…anyway, I went there, looking for a way to bring up my subconscious feelings. You know how it is to perpetually be in zero state, but I'm not used to it…I feel almost incomplete. So I went there hoping I'd be able to see what was going on beneath the surface."

Zeffanora almost felt sorry for Sarah. She must've seen – or felt – something _really _frightening to be this shaken.

"Well…I got in there, and…I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, but it wasn't what I sawIt was a large room; very strange, but beautiful. Everything was glowing, and humming – it kind of sounded like the stuff in Dorion's hallway and house."

She could hear Dorion's magic?

"But that wasn't the problem. I could've looked in the library all day, but there was more to explore, and I went round the corner…to see the part of the room that was a bedroom. It was nice…even though the bed looked like it had never been slept in…"

Arienne raised an eyebrow. "Why would someone else have slept in it? It's _your _room."

Sarah took a shuddering breath, and Zeffanora guessed that this was the frightening part.

"Well…I was laughing to myself, because the sheets were cotton, and there was a patchwork coverlet on the bed, and I'd always thought that anything in the castle would reflect Jareth's ridiculous clothing. So…yeah. I was laughing, and I heard someone gasp, and I turned around and _he _was there. I was-"

"Wait…you mean to say that you found _Jareth _in the Subconscious Room," Arienne queried, with a face to match Zeffanora's own confusion.

_Huh?_

"Well…yeah. He was surprised to see me there, and anyway, we talked, and it was actually a nice conversation…we haven't really talked since I've been here, except for a few times when I was confused and acting like a brat. We _were _arguing, but it wasn't malicious…it was more like a talk between two regular people, rather than king-to-subject or villain-to-heroine (even though that was kind of my fault in the first place)."

"…You found Jareth in the subconscious room," Zeffanora stated flatly.

"_Yes, _I told you. Anyway, I sort of taunted him, and he retaliated…"

Zeffanora didn't catch the blush or the hesitation, and she guessed it wasn't merely a challenge of wits.

"…And he went to touch my face, but then there was this-" Sarah looked panicky again, and visibly held back a wave of nausea.

"-_awful _feeling, and I know he felt it too. I ran out…I didn't know what to do! It was like…I was going to be sick, have a heart attack, and hit him all at the same time. Oh, and there was this little part of me that wanted to hide – preferably behind him, or in his arms, or something…"

Zeffanora held back a smile as Sarah trailed off, seeming to realize what she'd just said. Sarah held her hands up to her mouth in an embarrassed gesture.

"…But that was just part of it! Mostly, I felt sick. And panicky. And I _had _to get out of there!"

Sarah took a few deep breaths. Zeffanora exchanged knowing looks with Arienne; although the sickness was alarming, Zeffanora's thoughts were somewhere else entirely.

What did Sarah subconsciously desire?

It was apparent, from Arienne's smirk, that she had come to the same conclusion as well.

_Jareth._

-

The sound of Sarah's voice was assuring. The sight of her face would've been, as well, if it weren't for the unnatural paleness or the air about her. His skills of observation were often underestimated, and that was just as well; as a being which frightened easily, he didn't want any trouble.

Sarah looked, sounded, and acted differently, and Hoggle wanted to know why…just as much as he wanted to know why she'd suddenly stopped calling him.

She smiled at him, called his name, and reached out to him – he started. She smelled like magic.

A little known fact about dwarves was their keen sense of smell. It was stronger than that of the goblins…which was saying something indeed. Hoggle could smell magic on Sarah, magic he'd attributed to the labyrinth last time. He wasn't very good at distinguishing magics; for the most part, he didn't seek out the company of others.

If it wasn't her own, then how could it have gotten more potent? It should've lessened little by little as soon as she came to the Underground.

"Hoggle, I'm so glad to see you…I have so much to tell you…and I'm _so _sorry I didn't call…but if you'll let me, I'll tell you everything! And then you can tell me everything that's happened to you."

Hoggle nodded and replied, "Of course. Where would we be goin'?"

Sarah frowned in thought, but then smiled. At least her smile was as pretty as ever. "Hmm...may I see where you live? I'd like that."

"Of course. Follow me," Hoggle answered, and he led her through a part of the labyrinth she'd never been through. She knew that Hoggle knew the labyrinth inside and out; she didn't worry about getting lost.

Presently, they came to the beginning of the labyrinth; Hoggle knew Sarah might've hated it at first, but she wasn't racing against a thirteen-hour clock this time and he watched as she fully took in her surroundings.

Flowers – the very same kind Hoggle had been chasing fairies away from when she'd first met him – dotted the walls; a small entryway he knew Sarah hadn't noticed was hidden among them. Hoggle searched for the latch; after a moment, he pushed against the door with an 'aha!' and gestured for her to follow.

Instead of a section of the labyrinth, the door opened into a small garden full of flowers grown in the Underground. It was beautiful, and Hoggle loved it. He led the way toward a house-that-was-not-a-house, and opened the door. "C'mon," he called, and gestured inside.

They ducked through the door. Hoggle always loved coming home. The inside was plain, but there were sparkling objects dotting the inside. They were the same gems he'd used to make jewelry.

They sat down on cushions on the floor, and Hoggle looked expectantly at her.

"First of all, I want to apologize for not calling you. I…wanted to be able to live in my own world's reality, because I never thought I'd come back here. My parents were worried about me, and almost checked me into a temporary hospital…I never explained my experience to them – who would believe me?"

Hoggle cocked his head to the side. "Who _wouldn't?"_

"It's not the norm for people to randomly say they've spent ten hours in a magical realm, met fantastic creatures and people, and come back to their own world after only five hours."

Sarah frowned for a moment. "Well…that's not actually true. People _do _say stuff like that, but they're labeled as crazy. The general population of our world doesn't _really _believe places like this exist."

Hoggle had a hard time believing _that, _but then again, he didn't know much about Above.

As he listened to the rest of Sarah's story, one question kept pestering him:

_Where was her magic coming from?_

It seemed that everyone in the Underground was asking the same thing.

-

I wrote this chapter in celebration...my novel has now been officially approved! My parents have never supported my writing; they've always told me that I'll never be able to support myself. But I showed the first two chapters of my novel to them, and guess what? They both loved it, and they're not going to bother me about it any more! Get out your party hats and noisemakers!

...Or not. Heh!

Anyhow, here's chapter nine. Enjoy!


	10. More Bad News

Hey, guys, Karin here. I'm sorry, but I'm really stuck on this; I've gotten sucked back into the Naruto fandom, and I've got Labyrinth writer's block. I am _not _discontinuing this story, but it will be on hiatus for now.

I'll be replacing this chapter with the real chapter ten when I finish it, no worries.

Please don't stop watching; I'll get this updated as soon as I can get into Labyrinth again.

Thanks for being supportive of my story, and I'll try to update as soon as possible!

KarinUzumaki


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